Field Trips and Field Days with White Violet Center for Eco-Justice
Many grade schoolers across Vigo County come to White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, for field trips.
From kindergarten to fifth grade, White Violet Center (WVC) facilitates these field trips, geared toward education on sustainability, food and fiber production and time spent outdoors.
Our ministry aims to give children the opportunity to learn about small farming and to set an example of compassionate care of the animals, as well as responsible stewardship of the land.
Last year, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods was designated as a pilgrimage site for the 2024-25 Jubilee year of Hope, which concluded on January 6, 2026. Consequently, many more grade schoolers and middle schoolers from regional Catholic schools were able to visit the farm as they made their pilgrimage to our campus.
As a tour guide in training myself, I had the privilege to see the sparks of interest and engagement displayed by children of all ages, from within our local community and beyond.
In addition to hosting field trips in the spring, WVC collaborates with the Vigo County Soil and Water Conservation District each September as part of their Fifth-Grade Field Days.
We pack up our “show and tell” gear, load a couple of alpacas into the trailer and head out to the Vigo County Fairgrounds.
Roughly 1,000 children will see our 10-minute presentation during the course of three days, as the classes rotate through various other community partner presentations.
This past year, we switched up our modality and played an “alpaca/chicken” true or false game with the kids and received great feedback from the teachers. You’re never too old to appreciate positive reinforcement from teachers!
These field trips, pilgrimages and standard educational curriculums are a part of our outreach and programming initiatives, created to provide education and hands-on opportunities to children.
We hope that the experience of a day on the farm inspires a love and appreciation for nature and animals. The team at WVC fosters a passion for ethical land stewardship and eco-justice in future generations with these field days and I am blessed to be part of a team doing such vital work.
In the 2024-25 school year, roughly 1,500 students participated in a field trip tour or agricultural presentation with our farm. Whether trips were directly facilitated by the WVC staff, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College or Providence Spirituality & Conference Center, the takeaway remains the same: Eco-Justice and connection to nature is here for the children.
Interested in having your class or group participate in a field trip? Contact us at 812-535-2933.
