Early Technology Week | Signature Programs | Hammond School | Columbia, South Carolina

Naturalist in Residence

Learning across disciplines that's rooted in nature.

A hallmark of our experiential education curriculum, the Naturalist-in-Residence Program is a defining feature of the Hammond experience. In addition to curating and caring for the Nature Center’s collection of significant natural treasures, our Naturalist turns the outdoors into a living classroom. He guides our youngest students into the wild spaces on campus, teaching them to read the land and notice the small but extraordinary details hidden in plain sight. They discover that a leaf can hold a secret, a footprint can tell a story, and every breeze carries a lesson. In a fast-moving world, he slows the pace, helping them uncover a world smaller than meets the eye.

Early Technology Week

Looking Ahead Means Knowing Where You’ve Been.

We believe the best learning doesn't just teach...it immerses. That’s exactly what happens during Early Technology Week, when our fifth graders step into the world of primitive man and bring their curriculum to life. In a time when we emphasize design thinking, this week draws a powerful connection between the skills behind today’s technology: gathering and assessing information, collaboration, innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ingenuity of early humans.

Under the guidance of nationally recognized early technologists, led by Hammond’s own Naturalist in Residence, students spend the week learning hands-on skills like flint knapping, burn-and-scrape toolmaking, basket weaving, cordage, river cane flute crafting, and more. It’s immersive. It’s what authentic learning looks like.

We’re expanding the classroom to the natural world while connecting primitive and modern technology.