M.C. Richards Program

Free Columbia began ten years ago as a community-supported, community-oriented, cultural and educational initiative. It is located in the heart of Columbia County, New York and offers full-time, residential programs for people 18-35. The M. C. Richards Program is a one year, full-time course in transdisciplinary learning.

The program offers individuals a more vital and living experience of knowledge, striving to move from information and theory to living experiences of understanding through phenomenology and contemplative inquiry. 

For those who feel that moral questions should not be separated from questions of knowledge, and who feel an approach must exist that does not exclude our own experience and life. 

Some students are drawn to the program to explore how to connect more consciously and practically with the life of a place, in our case upstate New York, through outdoor excursions, land care and service work. 

Anyone looking for a deepening and maturing experience; or those looking for a broad and general foundation that might spark a vocational interest, or further studies, could find what they are looking for in this program. 

Regardless of whether one intends to work, pursue further learning at another college or university, attend a technical or vocational school, the program could be a meaningful next step.

The program is intended for individuals between the ages of 18 and 35.