Silkscreen Party

Great Barrington— The year 2024 marks Flying Cloud Institute’s 40th Anniversary.

The organization was founded in 1984 by Jane and Larry 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.

To celebrate this landmark anniversary, Flying Cloud is hosting a series of events, while gathering individual stories of the organization’s impact and sharing these recollections with the community. The events kicked off with a silk screening party on March 2nd at Bon Dimanche in Great Barrington. During the party, participants silk screened t-shirts and totes with the Flying Cloud logo. The next event will celebrate the Young Women in Science program with a “Women in Science Trivia Night” on May 2nd at Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield.

“Jane and Larry started something special, shared their home and talents with this community for 40 years, and we think that’s worth celebrating! The whole Flying Cloud team is proud to continue that work, to inspire the next generation of scientists and artists,” said Executive Director Maria Rundle.

By Hannah Van Sickle

Growing up, I drove past the Flying Cloud sign on Route 183 in New Marlborough, Massachusetts too many times to count. Handmade and freshly painted from time to time, it all but shouted an artist resided there; alas, my adolescent senses missed the cues. While my sister and I spent summer afternoons swimming at York Lake, we were blissfully unaware of what was happening just a scant mile down the road, where the mysterious driveway disappeared into a canopy of hardwoods. It was upon becoming a parent myself that the magic of Flying Cloud was revealed to me in earnest — as evidenced by the child-sized ceramic mugs in my kitchen cupboard that harken back to my now-grown daughters’ camper days.

Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) took root in 1984 when founder Jane Burke arrived in the Berkshires with a graduate degree in science education from Harvard and dreams of becoming a professional potter. The marriage of her two passions quite literally collided as the public educator experimented with making glazes on the 200-acre farm (and former inn) she and her husband, Larry, inherited from her father. What began with six “neighborhood” kids, who split three half days each week between Burke’s pottery and dance studios, has swelled over the past four decades to deliver hands-on art and science experiences to young people throughout Berkshire County. Fueled by a belief that today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators, the nonprofit (which relocated in 2017 upon Burke’s retirement) has expanded to offer year-’round programming. Under the leadership of Executive Director Maria Rundle, the mission remains to inspire young people and educators through dynamic science and art experiences that ignite creativity.

Left to right: Alison Brigham, Leigh Doherty and América López

Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) is pleased to announce that Alison Brigham, Leigh Doherty and América López have joined the organization’s Board of Directors.

Alison Brigham is the AVP of Marketing & Community Engagement at Lee Bank and the Treasurer of the Lee Bank Foundation. She has an extensive background in science with degrees in physiology, psychology, and genetics. Alison is a member of the Lenox Business Partners, Lenox Finance Committee, and EforAll Advisory Board, while also acting as a board member and programming committee member with the New England Financial Marketing Association. She also serves on the board of Link to Libraries and is a Volunteer Reader through their program at Conte Community School in Pittsfield. In addition to her professional pursuits, Alison is an avid equestrian and competes throughout the year with her horse, Eloise.

“Flying Cloud Institute’s involvement in our local schools inspires me, and I look forward to contributing to the organization’s success as a Board Member,” says Alison.

Leigh Doherty is an experienced organizational leader with diverse experience working in schools, as well as in the non-profit sector. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Literacy Network and previously worked at Berkshire Country Day School as an Associate Head of School, at the International School of Boston as the Lower School Director, and at Community Day Charter Public School as the Lower School Head. Prior to that, Leigh served as a Curriculum Coordinator at two international schools, one in Belgium and the other in Namibia. She has also been a preschool, elementary and middle school teacher, mainly in multilingual settings.

“I look forward to collaborating on new ideas for programs. I am also eager to engage and partner with the team to consider relevant strategic and cultural change for Flying Cloud in 2024 and beyond,” remarks Leigh.

América López is a Mexican immigrant who has spent half of her life in the Berkshires. She works full-time as a community health worker at Volunteers In Medicine in Great Barrington and is an active member of Latinas413, a non-profit organization that empowers Latina women. She also leads hikes for the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, focusing on Spanish-speaking Latinx participants. América is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in social work and is excited to combine her professional knowledge with her love for nature to promote mental wellness through outdoor activities. 

“As the proud mother of a girl who has had the opportunity to participate in Flying Cloud programming, I am excited to join the organization’s Board,” says América.

These accomplished professionals join recently elected officers Cathy Ingram, Director of Development at Miss Hall's School, as Chair; Dana Vorisek, Economist for the World Bank Group, as Treasurer; and Barbara Viniar, retired former President of Berkshire Community College, as Clerk.

"As we soar into our 40th year at Flying Cloud, I am honored to serve as Board Chair with dedicated and talented board members and staff as we embark on a year of celebration, innovation, and community impact," remarks Cathy Ingram. ♥

October 19 • Berkshire Museum

On October 19, 2023, from 5:00 to 7:30 pm, Flying Cloud Institute along with the Berkshire STEM Pipeline and Berkshire Museum, will be hosting a night of hands-on science and arts exploration for students in grades K-8! This is part of Massachusetts' 6th annual STEM Week and will be located at Berkshire Museum. We'd love to have you join us!

• Underwrite the event - be a sponsor!

• Design and run a hands-on science and/or art activity as a Challenge Leader

• Volunteer to help fund an activity with one of our STEM Pipeline members

• Volunteer to run the welcome table, refreshments, or raffle tables

• Contribute raffle prizes or refreshments

• Come as a guest with your family!

We are honored that the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (MAP) and Konstantine Productions created a series of videos about Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) to highlight the important values and benefits of afterschool programs. This video celebrates FCI's afterschool MakerSpaces, where children explore hands-on, creative ways to design, experiment, build, and invent as they deeply engage in science and engineering. MAP is the state-wide leader in providing access to high-quality afterschool and summer programs throughout the Commonwealth. They help to ensure that all children have access to programming, especially girls and other underrepresented youth. Thank you, MAP, for supporting Flying Cloud and youth throughout the state! A BIG thank you to Konstantine Productions for making these beautiful videos!

The next generation of FCI artists, scientists, and makers dig into the fun and festive evening on Monday, July 24. Photo by Beth Carlson of Silo Media.

Flying Cloud’s summer fundraiser celebrates 39 years of engaging local students at the intersection of art and science

“This is where science meets art,” said one young maker from the Flying Cloud Institute, employing a phrase coined by Larry Burke.

BY HANNAH VAN SICKLE

New Marlborough — In a fitting return to its roots, Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) partnered with the former Cantina 229 in New Marlborough to host one heck of a S•M•Arty Party on Monday, July 24, a scant three miles north of the eponymous farmstead where—in 1984—Jane and Larry Burke hosted their first group of summer campers keen on getting their hands dirty making art. A crowd of about 140 friends, supporters, and alumni of the nonprofit turned out for an evening of celebrating the off-the-beaten path FCI has tread in the Southern Berkshires for nearly four decades.

“What Flying Cloud is, and what it represents, is not just held in any one program—or one child’s experience—it’s how [the organization] has cumulatively moved the needle in our region about what it is to be a creative person, what it is to go to school and be held as an artist and a scientist, and how we look at each other collaboratively and cooperatively to solve problems,” said Executive Director Maria Rundle in her welcoming remarks, before acknowledging that the very spirit of creative engagement being applauded by the crowd before her is currently under threat.

Flying Cloud Institute educator Liliana Atanacio making tortillas with the kids at summer camp.

Flying Cloud Institute—igniting young minds through hands-on exploration

“The question at the heart of everything we do is: How do we create dynamic experiences for youth and educators to use science and art to problem solve?”

BY ROBBI HARTT

“The universe is full of light and mystery. Our Flying Cloud community—families, schools, staff, volunteers, artists, scientists—creates a constellation together that lights up our world with joyous exploration.” – Maria Rundle, Executive Director

As reported in MIT Professional Education, the gender gap in STEM is still gaping in 2023. In fact, the underrepresentation of women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields not only persists but remains significant, with women making up only 28% of the STEM workforce. “This disparity is concerning, as it leads to a lack of diversity and inclusion, and ultimately limits the potential of the STEM industry,” writes Clara Piloto. “Addressing existing underrepresentation is critical as the world grapples with economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal, and technological risks. Closing the gender gap will not only bolster sustainable tech-enabled growth and innovation but is also deemed an economic necessity.”

In addition, rural students tend to face a number of challenges that can keep them from pursuing college degrees and careers in STEM fields. They are less likely than their urban and suburban counterparts to have family members or neighbors in STEM fields to serve as role models and their schools tend to receive less outreach and early exposure to STEM careers from industry representatives. Finally, students who attend lower-income urban schools with high minority populations earn STEM degrees at far lower rates than are their peers from higher-income, low-minority urban schools.

Great Barrington, MA — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) has hired Liliana Atanacio as an Afterschool Science and Art Educator. In this role, Liliana will lead afterschool Girls Science Clubs and MakerSpaces, as well as in-school residencies, and work with the FCI team to inspire the next generation of artists and engineers. She brings a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of multiple disciplines and the ability to analyze systems and incorporate critical thinking to create positive and inspiring change.

“STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) education has had a transformative power on my own life. I love watching the next generation of learners and leaders in our community. Nothing makes me happier than helping and supporting their dreams,” says Liliana.

Liliana holds an Associate of Science in Engineering degree from Berkshire Community College and has completed Arduino and coding coursework at Mount Holyoke College. In 2016, Liliana participated in the first Community College hackathon in Massachusetts with Major league Hacking and BCC. Her work experience includes serving as a Maintenance Technician for Global Foundries, a semiconductor company where she optimized and maximized tool utilization through automation and inventory planning systems.

Outside of work, Liliana brings her passion for helping others to the Latinx community of Berkshire County. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and serves as co-president and founder of Latinas413, a nonprofit organization that advocates for Latinas representation. She spearheaded a mentorship program for Latinas413 and continues to mentor and to fundraise for scholarships.

“We welcome Liliana to the FCI team to inspire young people and educators through dynamic experiences with science and art that ignite creativity,” remarked Executive Director Maria Rundle. “We are so grateful to have found an educator to support our mission!” ♥

Girls Science Club

Great Barrington, MA — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) announces funding from the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (MAP) and Mass Cultural Council’s YouthReach, which will enable the organization to expand afterschool programs in Berkshire County.

Afterschool Girls Science Clubs will double from four to eight schools in the Pittsfield Public Schools (PPS) and will continue in the Lee, Berkshire Hills, and Southern Berkshire School Districts. These Young Women in Science programs focus on serving youth in Pittsfield and rural areas where access to hands-on science and engineering learning is limited. Schools partner with FCI to identify youth that will most benefit from this program. 

Girls Science Clubs offer STEM engagement for female and non-binary identified youth and create a pipeline of mentorship from ages 9 to 19. This includes cultural competency training and mindfulness skill-building to increase resiliency and find joy in STEM exploration. Local women STEM professionals volunteer in the programs to meet and work alongside the youth. 

Funding Girls Science Clubs is a good fit for MAP, which aims to improve the lives of all children and youth by supporting and expanding high quality and enriching afterschool learning. They strive for equity and inclusion so that every child has the opportunity for a full and fair education, in and out of school.

Like MAP, Mass Cultural Council’s YouthReach supports the creativity and leadership potential of young people with innovative creative youth development programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences. YouthReach programs are youth driven, focused on social justice, and designed to foster collaboration.

“Flying Cloud Institute is grateful for the support of MAP and YouthReach. We are confident our partnership with Berkshire County schools will help to reach needed communities while closing the gender gap in STEM fields,” says FCI Executive Director Maria Rundle.

Angela Parker

Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) has hired Angela Parker as a Science and Art Educator. In this role, Angela will lead the summer program, vacation camps, classroom residencies, family STEAM challenge events, and work with the FCI team to inspire the next generation of artists and engineers. She brings multifaceted K-12 educational experiences to the organization as it continues to partner with local school districts to bring meaningful experiences to students.

“I believe that young people benefit from exploring the world through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning that sparks their curiosity. I am inspired by Flying Cloud Institute’s commitment to STEAM programming that gives all students the opportunity to imagine themselves as scientists, innovators, and artists, and I want to use my program management and teaching skills to support this vital work,” says Angela.

Angela’s past experience includes initiating a multi-site STEAM museum program for the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in collaboration with the Connecticut Science Center. She also launched a tour entitled “STEAM: Sketch Like a Scientist!" that drew connections between the skills used by artists and scientists. 

While at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Virginia, she worked with teaching artists to plan school tours that incorporated studio art activities, ranging from bookmaking to ceramics. As a classroom teacher at St. Ignatius Loyola Academy, she created interdisciplinary learning experiences for K-12 students, and at Capital and Asnuntuck Community Colleges she trained and supported adult students. 

“We welcome Angela to the FCI team to inspire young people and educators through dynamic experiences with science and art that ignite creativity,” remarked Executive Director Maria Rundle. “We feel so lucky to have found an educator in sync with our mission!”

WAM Theatre begins its 13th season with a reading of "The New Galileos" on Sunday, May 1, at 2pm at Berkshire Museum and live streamed online, in partnership with our Young Women In Science program.

"We are so excited about continuing our collaboration with WAM Theatre," said Maria Rundle, Executive Director. "These experiences that knit together creative expression, science exploration, and youth leadership create moments that change lives. We look forward to sharing this special moment with our next generation of scientists, artists, and engineers!"

Great Barrington, MA — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) is pleased to announce that Catherine Burns, Daniel Medwed, and Dana Vorisek have joined the Board of Directors. (Pictured, left to right, above.)

Catherine (Kate) Burns has worked in the financial services profession for over 10 years and has been elected FCI’s Treasurer. She began her career in higher education, where she developed a passion for helping families plan for the costs of college. In her current role as a financial advisor with Apella Capital, she helps families navigate and plan for their financial futures. 

Kate says, “Flying Cloud Institute’s involvement in our local schools inspires me, as I attribute my career to the extracurricular activities I participated in as a student in the Pittsfield Public School system.” She currently resides in Pittsfield with her husband where they embrace the active outdoor lifestyle of the Berkshires.

Daniel S. Medwed is a University Distinguished Professor of Law and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University, and the Legal Analyst for GBH, Boston's local NPR and PBS affiliate. His latest book, “Wrongful Convictions and the DNA Revolution,” was published by Cambridge University Press in April 2017.

“My wife Sharissa Jones and I, along with our daughters Clementine and Mili, are absolutely devoted to Flying Cloud – and have been ever since Mili started to attend the summer program about a decade ago. We are continually amazed by the creativity, energy, and good cheer of the program, and I am thrilled to be a member of the board,” remarks Daniel.

Dana Vorisek is an economist for the World Bank Group in Washington, DC. She has worked extensively on the institution’s outlook for the global economy, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Caribbean, and has published on a variety of macroeconomic and international development topics. Her professional and academic path to economics was not direct, however, and through her own experience she has a great appreciation for the application of skills across fields. As an FCI board member, she hopes to contribute to the organization’s fostering of varied intellectual and skills development among school-age children. 

These accomplished professionals join an already impressive Board of Directors, which includes Susan Russell as Chair, Cathy Ingram as Vice Chair, Kenzie Fields as Clerk and Directors Lindy Marcel, Mary Nash, Barbara Viniar, and Julie Webster.

“We are excited to have such a supportive Board to help us fulfill our mission to inspire young people and ignite their creativity. How lucky are we to have wonderful members like Kate, Daniel, and Dana join us in this important work?” says Executive Director Maria Rundle.

From Spectrum News 1 —

Tuesday afternoon’s lesson in Dave Edson’s 7th grade science class at the W.E.B. Du Bois Middle School wasn’t just an ordinary lesson. It was part of a series of lessons taught by a local education nonprofit called the Flying Cloud Institute.

“We come into a school, and we teach out the science, technology, and engineering Massachusetts state standards through hands-on investigations, explorations,” said Maria Rundle, Flying Cloud Institute’s executive director. “And then, we bring in a creative artistic experience to help the students make visible their learning.”

Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) educators, artists, scientists, and engineers are once again bringing multi-week residencies into Berkshire County public schools, offering student-led projects and showcases of learning for the community. Educators recently completed a residency at Lee Elementary School, are currently teaching at South Egremont School, will be at W.E.B. DuBois Middle School in March, and are planning to come to the Pittsfield Public Schools next school year.

“This is a sign of the resilience of the education community as we emerge from the pandemic crisis. We are so enthusiastic to be working with creative children who are eager for challenges and are excited about learning,” says Maria Rundle, Executive Director.

At the Lee Elementary School residency last month, FCI educators led fourth grade students in making observations to show that energy can be transferred through sound, light, heat, and electrical currents. Students explored energy transfers by observing convection currents, designing their own vehicles, and creating LED circuits. Data collection stations led to hands-on investigations and a deeper understanding of how speed relates to energy. 

The culminating event of the residency was a showcase for their peers, where the ideas from science came to life. The fourth grade scientists and engineers hosted grades K-6 in their lab and led hands-on design challenges and experiments. 

FCI educators are currently bringing weekly hands-on science investigations, design challenges, and performance art to the Kindergartners of the South Egremont School. Students are investigating the natural phenomena in their backyard to learn about the changing seasons and explore the mysteries of light, physics, material science, and biology. At the conclusion of the residency, students will collaborate with FCI artists to perform a play, inspired by their work, for teachers and caregivers.

The DuBois residency will introduce 7th grade students to the magnitude of geologic time through physical modeling. Youth will create original stop-motion animation movies of geologic phenomena. The goal is to connect students to their environment through a new sense of geologic time and scale, using the fun and collaborative nature of claymation to model their planet’s ever-changing surface in a creative way. Students will display their videos with classmates and parents as an online Film Fest.

The Lee, South Egremont and DuBois residencies were funded in part by STARS grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which works with schools and community organizations to expand access to arts education and creative learning through the humanities and sciences.

Thanks for celebrating STEM Week with us! Please note that we are no longer accepting requests for Kits.

Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) is offering FREE creative chemistry kits in celebration of MA STEM Week 2021! Complete this form to request your kit today. (First come, first served until we run out of S•M•Art Kits.)

Each kit will include all of the materials your child needs to make an invisible ink painting. This is a fun and creative way to create an original painting while also learning about pH and chemistry! (See the video example below.)

Once requested, you can pick up your kit at MCLA, October 18 - 22, from 9:30 am - 5:30 pm.

Some days it felt like Flying Cloud Institute had been preparing for the education crisis of 2020-21 for the last 35 years! We leveraged the trust of our funders, families, and community partners into proactive, positive solutions to our community's most dire needs. Both online and in-person, educators offered a creative, caring, holistic alternative to help our most vulnerable youth make it through this year safely. Outdoors from July 2020 to August 2021, our educators did it all with the same high standards for authentic science, engineering, and art that the Flying Cloud name has been known for since its founding by Jane and Larry Burke.

In a year of isolation, we have never been so connected to our beloved Berkshire learning community. So here's to all of you who were part of that success. Thank you.

Why donate to Flying Cloud Institute? In this video by Silo Media, let our educators and the students we serve explain how you can contribute to a community of learners.

Since 2019, Angel has been working to educate and inspire Berkshire County youth through Flying Cloud Institute programs. She began as a Girls Science Club Coordinator and was then promoted to Young Women in Science Director. Last year, she served as a lead S•M•Art Educator in the CLuB (Community Learning in the Berkshires) program. Prior to coming to Flying Cloud, Angel was a faculty artist at IS183 Art School and brings her creativity and artistic skills to the Institute.

Can you tell us a little about your background?

I have been working as an educator for over 24 years, teaching a myriad of subjects in diverse settings from preschool classrooms to retirement communities and everything in between, even entirely outdoors during this past pandemic year!

What makes Flying Cloud’s mission powerful for you?

Working with Flying Cloud Institute has been amazing for me. There is a deep stream of values inherent in our mission that inspire me in the work I do everyday. I am passionate about empowering youth, nurturing curiosity, and creating engaging hands on innovative learning experiences. There are so many ways Flying Cloud dynamically affects the communities and youth that we serve and I am continually honored to be a part of that!

What interests you most about working for Flying Cloud?

I love that I get to be creative and inspired with all that we do.

Do you want to share any personal information about your family or hobbies?

I am an artist, scientist, teacher, maker, and a mama with a lot of interests. I have an awesome 12 year old, a guinea pig, and a slightly famous Madagascan Hissing cockroach. If I am not in the studio/lab I am out in the woods foraging and harvesting. ❤

Thanks for celebrating Art Week with us! Please note that we are no longer accepting requests for Kits.

As part of the Berkshire Art Week celebration, September 20-24, 2021, your family can get a free S•M•Art Kit: Where Science Meets Art! Each kit will include all of the materials your child needs to make an invisible ink painting. This is a fun and creative way to create an original painting while also learning about pH and chemistry! (See the video example below.)

Participate in the following ways:

• Complete this art project LIVE with our staff at the W.E.B. Dubois Parent Night on 9/21

• Complete this art project LIVE with our staff outdoors at the 9/25 Gt. Barrington Farmers Market and outdoors at the Festival Latino the same day

• Join a live Zoom with Angel Heffernan, S•M•Art Educator and YWIS Director on Saturday 9/25 at 11:00 am for families to tune in and do the project with us

• Girls in our after school programs in Pittsfield public schools will each receive a kit

• Request a kit by completing this request form and picking it up at our Gt. Barrington office September 20-24, or until kits run out.

Can you tell us a little about your background?

I'm an artist, but I don't work in a single medium. I have a background in photography and sculpture, but also work in textiles, ceramics, and book arts. My creative passion for some time has been ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging, which connects well with my interest and work in gardening and horticulture. Professionally, I've been a librarian for more than 20 years and am currently the director of the library at Bard College at Simon's Rock.

What makes Flying Cloud’s mission powerful for you?

The connection between art and science is one that I find particularly compelling. They are all too often thought of as opposites, so using art to teach science or science to inspire art is a great way to get kids interested in both.

Why do you give to Flying Cloud?

Flying Cloud makes a difference in the life of every child in every one of its programs. Whether kindling a passion for art and science or bringing fresh, effective teaching modalities to the area's classrooms, Flying Cloud is an investment that reaps generational rewards. And they bring joy to everything they do!

Where do you see Flying Cloud in 5 years?

Soaring! Reaching even more kids; innovating both inside and outside the classroom; making learning fun - but only if we all commit to young people's education with our hearts and minds and wallets.