The mission of Flying Cloud Institute is to inspire young people and educators through dynamic science and art experiences that ignite creativity.

Originally based on a 200 acre colonial farmstead in New Marlborough, MA, Flying Cloud Institute was founded in 1984 by Jane and Lawrence Burke with David Schwarz as a center for community education specializing in environmental education, energy and land conservation, and the arts. It now offers an array of programs in the arts and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) that serve over 2,000 youth and local educators annually.

FCI runs programs at a number of locations including area public schools, Flying Cloud Farm in New Marlborough, local libraries, and the labs of Bard College at Simon’s Rock and BCC.

In 2017, Flying Cloud moved its administrative offices to Great Barrington and the founding director, Jane Burke, retired. The organization continues to offer its S•M•Art Summer Program at the Burke homestead in New Marlborough as well as at the April Hill Education and Conservation Center in Egremont.

Flying Cloud continues to develop new programs and partnerships to advance our education mission and celebrates over 20 years of the Young Women in Science program which has helped launch a generation of girls into STEM fields.