Stokes Nature Preschool is a program operating through Stokes Nature Center in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest since 2013. Located in Logan, Utah, Stokes Nature Preschool focuses on connecting young children with nature and preparing them for the next phase of their education by following Montessori principles, stewardship lessons, and holistic school readiness curriculum. Currently, their program consists of 3-hour classes in the morning and afternoon, two or four days a week. Each class includes two teachers and eight children ages three to five. The preschool enrolls up to thirty-two students and awards at least two full scholarships each school year.
Stokes Nature Preschool is the first of its kind in the region, and has become a pillar of the Cache Valley community that inspires generations of lifelong nature stewards. Natural Start spoke with the Preschool’s Director, Sadie Enright, to learn more.
What are the main aspects or features of Utah's Cache Valley landscape and community that inform your approach to place-based education?
Our preschool is housed within and around the Stokes Nature Center lodge, which is accessible by a roughly half-mile long riverside trail. We begin and end every preschool class with a lovely nature walk. Parents and other caretakers sign up as chaperones and join us on the trail. Depending on the season and weather conditions, we spend anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours outdoors every school day. Our nature curriculum is designed to focus on the local flora and fauna, seasonal changes, and stewardship of this place.
What are the main philosophies behind the Montessori method that inspire the Nature Preschool's approach to education and teaching strategies?
The Montessori approach suits our program’s goals of supporting independence and nature-connection through child-directed learning, hands-on activities, and collaborative play. Our indoor space is arranged much like a Montessori school, with a meeting area and child-size furniture and shelves. Additionally, our classes are mixed ages and we follow the interests of the preschoolers as we decide how and when to introduce new materials. Early literacy, math, science, and practical life skills are integrated into the nature-based curriculum and activity choices each day. We use a lot of Montessori materials, which sometimes include nature items.
On the website, it says the Preschool adheres to many of the tenets of the No Child Left Inside Movement. Can you tell us more about this movement and how it is incorporated into program operations and curriculum?
Richard Louv’s 2005 book Last Child in the Woods sparked the No Child Left Inside movement. This nationwide effort to re-connect children with the outdoors inspired our early efforts in establishing a nature preschool program. We followed the lead of others in places like Michigan and Wisconsin as we put together our own unique early childhood offering, catering to the local community and reaching out to partners who are integral to our program. We remain the only nature-based preschool program in our community, but we try to inspire other local early childhood programs to embrace nature-based learning through workshops and teacher trainings.
We're intrigued by your approach to family involvement! Can you share more about the program's cooperative model with "Parent Helpers," as well as your monthly family field trips?
One of the most valued parts of our program is the families who participate. We encourage parents to volunteer as trail chaperones, join us for a music class, help out with art projects, and share family traditions. We also host a monthly “Family Field Day” to bring families together and share an outdoor or community experience together. Through these opportunities, we hope to establish a sense of place for our preschoolers as well as their families. It seems to be working, as we have many families who return to our program and also remain part of the Stokes Nature Center community long after their child moves on from preschool!
The Children and Nature Network uses Family Nature clubs to break down common barriers to getting families out in nature on a regular basis. Find out how you can create a Family Nature Club in your community. Read More
Today, Senators Jack Reed (RI-D) and Mark Kirk (IL-R) and Congressmen John Sarbanes (MD-R) and Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-R) introduced legislation aimed at improving environmental education in our nation’s public schools. The No Child Left Inside Act would provide grants to school districts, support teacher training and promote the integration of outdoor learning into the school curriculum. Read More
