Welcome to Singing Creek Educational Center
Living History and Eco-friendly EducationSummer Camp – Time to Signup!
Our Mission
To inspire children and families toward an appreciation of local history through hands-on learning.
Show Your Support
We stand on the traditional land of the Winefelly Tribe of the Kalapuya people, who have been here since time immemorial. We recognize and honor their ties to this homeland and support efforts to return the land to Indigenous sovereignty.
Our Educational Programs for Children
Summer Camp 2022 See more info here.
Our programs are fun and engaging while also encouraging critical thinking skills and learning about history from multiple perspectives. Our focus is Oregon history and nature appreciation.
Our interactive history programs for children and families include school field trips, classes, summer camps, and several special events throughout the year. We also offer monthly homeschool classes for your group from September through May. Some of our favorite activities include butter churning, grain grinding, sewing, making puppets, games and songs, washing clothes, gardening, herbal walks and trading with the trapper. Summer camps include visits from specialists like the medicine woman, the spinner, the trapper and more. Learn about ways of living in harmony with the Earth, foraging, respect, giving thanks, and protecting the environment. Our goal is to be culturally responsive in all our teachings, including about Native and colonial settler relationships, both positive and negative.
We are located at the historic Snapp House in Cottage Grove. See More>
New Project!
We are proud to be the fiscal sponsors of the South Valley Farm and Food Network, whose purpose is:
Fostering community connections, learning and resource sharing to foster a more resilient local food system across the South Willamette Valley
History Enrichment Curriculum
Join us now for an engaging hands-on learning session each month for children ages 6 – 10
Watch our video for kids about Opal Whiteley, part of our Hands-On Homeschool offerings
New Indigenous Books for Our Library
I (Karen) am thrilled to add some new books to our library at SCEC: Indigenous stories from Native authors. These books have been carefully curated from the list of Indigenous children's books by the National Museum of the American Indian. I watched a webinar with...
We are Hiring Qualified Instructors
Join our team! Do you love kids and have a passion for history/nature studies? Have skills to share? Talk to us about becoming an instructor. This is an independent contractor position and hours are flexible year-round. See More Here
How to Think Historically
For those who wish to learn how to think historically, Thomas Andrews and Flannery Burke have codified the five Cs: change over time, context, causality, contingency, and complexity. Most of these are terms non-historians can understand readily, although contingency requires the explanation that if you changed a single condition, any historical outcome could have turned out differently. Accordingly, learning to think historically encourages citizens to be responsible because the conditions we set forth determine the kind of future we will have.
Field Trips for Your Classroom or Group
Classroom field trips are now available for 3rd- 5th graders (and even homeschoolers or scout groups!) The Travel in Time field trip includes learning about the Kalapuya First Peoples of Oregon, the mountain man trappers, and the pioneer settlers with hands on experiences, crafts, and a guided nature walk around the park by the river. The Lewis & Clark field trip features learning about the Corp of Discovery journey to the Pacific Ocean, including First Peoples and nature discovery.
See our Field Trips page for more info.
Our Location: The Historic Dr. Snapp House
Singing Creek Educational Center is located in the historic Dr. Snapp House in Cottage Grove, OR at 360 River Road. The house is located along the Coast Fork of the Willamette River greenway. It is also adjacent to a large city park so there is plenty of room for outside activities as well as our inside programs in this cozy home built in 1886.
The house bears the name of one of Cottage Grove’s first physicians, Dr. G.O. Snapp. The doctor built the house to serve as his residence and office. The home has ornate exterior gingerbread features and a tall spire called a “witch’s hat” atop the front entrance. It’s a one-story house with 12.5 foot high ceilings throughout its interior and is decorated in period style. See More>
Your Donation Makes A Difference!
Please support our work — bringing history to life. Your financial contribution makes it possible for us to bring high-quality educational experiences to kids in under-served communities in Lane County. Click the Donate button above and show your support!
Watch Our YouTube Channel!
The videos on our channel show the many engaging, hands-on activities the children participate in during Singing Creek’s programs and workshops, where they learn about history and values like teamwork, respect for the land, honoring elders, and more.