What Is the Natural Start Alliance?
The Natural Start Alliance unites organizations and individuals working toward a future in which every young child has access to high-quality education that includes nature and the environment every day. The Alliance includes over 1,500 organizations such as schools, environmental education centers, non-profit organizations, zoos and aquariums, park districts, professional associations, and more. You can view organizational members on our Alliance Map. In addition to organizational members, the Alliance also includes thousands of individual education professionals and parents.
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What Does the Alliance Do?
The Natural Start Alliance provides a number of opportunities to connect and support Alliance members, who work in unique ways to bring nature and the environment into early childhood education.
Key Areas of Focus
What Unites the Alliance?
We believe in great beginnings. We know that hands-on experiences in nature help build stronger, smarter, and happier children, and we believe that quality education for young children includes regular opportunities to connect with nature and the local environment. We also believe that as children learn to care for themselves and others, they also begin to learn to care for the world around them. Experiencing and learning about the environment in early childhood builds a foundation for lifelong environmental literacy. These benefits are powerful, and we believe that any disparities in access to nature and the environment in early childhood education based on race, income, or any other factor are unacceptable. We are united in our efforts to ensure that every child enjoys nature and the environment as part of a great early childhood education.
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Become a Member
Not a member yet? There is no cost to join the Alliance, and you can add your organization to the growing list of members on the map.
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How Can I Engage in the Work of the Alliance?
Whether you simply want to show your support for the goals of the Alliance, or you want to dive deeper or take on a professional leadership role, there are ways for you to connect with us.
Join the Alliance
If you are aligned with the goals of the Natural Start Alliance, please join us. There is no cost to join and it takes just a few minutes. Your membership is important because it helps demonstrate the size and diversity of the field, and keeps you connected to a professional network that shares your goals and commitment. Join here.
Stay Connected
Stay connected with the Alliance through our year-round communications, including our monthly newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram, Google Group, and early childhood group on NAAEE’s eePRO. The Alliance also hosts forums throughout the year that bring members together to network and learn. Contact us any time through our communications channels, and at [email protected].
Participate in the Conference
Join the Alliance each summer at the Nature-Based Early Learning Conference, when the field comes together in person or online. If you are interested in presenting, the call for presentations is released in December or January each year. Natural Start's parent organization also hosts the NAAEE Annual Conference and Research Symposium annually, and includes early childhood-focused sessions and networking opportunities.
Join a Network
Natural Start Alliance members are connecting in focused professional networks around a variety of interest areas, including networks for graduate students, Black educators, higher education professionals, state network leaders, advocates, and more. Learn more about our networks and get involved today!
Get Involved with Projects
Members who are interested in getting more involved with our professional community can step up to advance the work of the Alliance through projects, which start and end at various times throughout the year, or continue their work across years. Some of the projects underway include:
- Reviewing Conference Proposals
- Reviewing Submissions to the International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education
Other projects and volunteer opportunities are announced as needs emerge. If there's a project you think the Alliance should take on, let us know. Email us at [email protected].
A Project of NAAEE
Natural Start is a project of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), which serves as the professional backbone and champion for the field of environmental education. Natural Start’s role within NAAEE is to promote and support environmental education for young children.
Contact Us
If you have questions about our work, or an idea for a project that you think the Alliance should explore, please let us know. Email us at [email protected].