Sow Well Tots

Sow Well Tots is a nature-based early childhood program located on a 3-acre property in Bernardston, MA. It is led by founder and lead educator, Bessie P. Jones. At Sow Well Tots we are on a mission to make nature-based early childhood education accessible to children from all backgrounds while providing an environment where the cultural wholeness of children is seen and embraced. SWT is a Black Woman-led organization and model school, poised to continue to grow into a learning center that will fill a critical void in training and mentoring educators of Color in the predominantly White nature-based and education fields. Sow Well Tots centers racial equity and is dedicated to social justice throughout all levels of our work.

At Sow Well Tots, we are cultivating solutions for the systemic societal and planetary challenges we face, and we are leading by example. Our program exists to “sowing the seeds for well beings” through holistic education, Black land stewardship, farm-to-table foods, and a curriculum that centers an Afro-folk perspective honoring the contributions, traditions, and ancestral teachings from the African Diaspora. Black-led learning environments are extremely rare, and essential for children who would not see themselves reflected in most school spaces in our region or ever learn from an Educator of Color. We are excited to continue to build into our next chapter, expanding affordable high-quality options for early childhood that are integrated with justice, sustainability, and wellness for our whole community.