Summer Child Enrichment Program Overview
Schedule
The Field School is a drop-off program. It runs 35 hours per week, Monday through Friday. Children bring their own meals or parents can purchase a boxed lunch.
In summer, the program begins at 2pm and ends at 9pm. This schedule aligns with the rhythms of the season in the Mediterranean: avoiding the heat of the day, operating while cultural sites are open, offering childcare during working hours for many families, and wrapping up as public gatherings are getting started. Families usually stay out late, sleep late, swim, have a large lunch, and then rest in the morning and midday.
Typical Summer Day
A typical day begins at 2pm with an all-school circle, where we sing a Croatian song. Learners then go into smaller, age-based groups with their Guides. Students check in and Guides present the day’s topic through storytelling or a short tutorial.
Groups head outdoors as soon as possible to swim, record observations about wild plants and animals in their nature journals, perform plays or practice crafts, and more. In the evening, all groups take some time for dinner, including words of gratitude and clean-up.
The evening is spent working towards a project, which could be a performance, a friendly competition, or a mini social enterprise. Past projects have included a 20-minute production of Shakespeare’s Tempest, a wacky boat regatta, and a home-made, learner-led banquet for the entire school community.
The evening is also a time when learners visit cultural attractions, such as museums and archaeological sites, which are only open later in the day.
All children have a weekly field trip, such as an all-day hike, boat trip, or excursion to a nearby town. Fridays end in a school assembly: the first Friday of each session is shorter, the second Friday is usually the culmination of the project: a performance, demonstration, pop-up market, or similar.
In summer 2026, each session will have a different theme, which will shape the project in that session. Themes and their lead practitioners will be announced in January. Themes could include ceramics, sailing, sketching in nature, or mountaineering.
Ages & Ratios
The Field School of Hvar serves a maximum of 45 children from age 2 to 18 at any given time.
Early Years serves 6 children ages 3 to 4 with one Guide. Children must be potty-trained. Parent attendance is optional and based on the child’s comfort with separation.
Three Lower Primary sections serve 24 total children ages 5 to 10.
The youngest lower primary group (usually Kindergarten age) are in a ratio of 6 children to 1 guide.
The middle group (generally first and second grade) are in a ratio of 8 children to 1 guide.
The oldest group (generally third and fourth grade) are in a ratio of 10 children to 1 guide.
One Upper Primary section serves 12 children ages 11 through 14. This program is only available in Session 3 ( July 11 - 25) and in the fall, winter, or spring.
Drop-off and Locations
Drop off is at the Field School’s Learning Center in the Fontana Resort (see more about accommodations). It is a 220sm classroom with a wraparound terrace overlooking the sea. There is a coworking space for parents adjacent to the Learning Center.
The Field School mostly takes place outside on beaches, forests, orchards, and in our local villages. It is important that both children and parents are comfortable with natural environments, including insects, water, rocks, and weather.
Field trips take place in beaches, farms, and historical sites that are not within walking distance of the Fontana. The Field School works with trusted transportation partners for water and ground transportation.
