Events Archive
Nature-Based Teacher Certification
The Carriage House at the Gramercy
Baltimore, MD 21153
We are thrilled to offer a five-day Nature-based Teacher Certification! This 36-hour course provides in-depth study of best practices in nature-based early childhood education to prepare you for meaningful outdoor learning experiences. Whether you are in a formal school or childcare setting or working in a nature or forest preschool, this course is designed to meet the needs of early childhood educators working in any setting. Learn more about each level of certification below.
REGISTRATION OPTIONS
There are two options to attend the level 1 NBTC course: you can join us in person for a five-day training experience (June 28-July 2, 2021 in Baltimore, MD or July 19-23 in Toledo, OH) or register for a six-week online course. Please note that the online course is designed like an interactive college course and requires real-time participation. This is not a pre-recorded 'on demand' class - you get to network with others as you learn. Visit www.erafans.org/teacher-certification for more details. In Bloom in Maine
Juniper Hill School for Place-based Education
ME
In Bloom in Maine will be on 19 June 2021 from 9:00 to 4:00.
We’ve loved being at the Kittery Community Center in Kittery
for the past four years but this year we’re heading downeast to
the Juniper Hill School in Alna, ME. Juniper Hill School has been a
leader during this school year in training teachers to take learning
outside during the pandemic. ECO Institute - Nature Based Routines for Outdoor Classrooms
713 Elm Street
Montpelier, VT 05607
This is an introductory ECO (Educating Children Outdoors) Institute course that acquaints participants with the routines and protocols that structure a successful outdoor learning and play experience. Participants will: Develop a knowledge base and skill set to incorporate nature immersion practices into your program in a way that meets the needs of your students. Learn how to conduct site assessments and how to manage hazards and risks within an outdoor classroom space. Explore foundational math and literacy skills in nature with nature. Learn how to partner with the natural world to bring the curriculum outdoors and nature indoors while meeting NGSS, Common Core and Vermont Early Learning Standards. Build upon existing strengths and opportunities within a school community to support learning with nature. This year we are running two courses with a limit of 10 participants in each course. Registration is open! Instructors: Amy Butler & Brenda Hartshorn Babies and Nature
Babies are natural investigators. They spend time observing, exploring, and discovering the workings of the natural world. In this zoom workshop, you will learn how to: + explore the natural world with babies in the natural world + activities to try outside with babies + ways to support the development of their young brains. You will receive: + Resource guide with activities to try with your baby + Reflection sheet + 15 % off consulting option with meFSTI Virtual Forest School Training Program
Forest School Teacher Institute announces a new virtual training program for busy people. Topics include: how to become an effective forest school teacher, how to oversee a forest school program, how to start-up a forest school program, and how to advance your leadership skills in a forest school environment. All courses will be individualized and dig deeply into the roots of forest school — community, compassion, and holistic child development. Forest School Teacher Institute founder, Dr. Jean Lomino, along with a highly qualified and experienced team of Forest School teachers, founders and administrators from around the US and the world will lead the training. Jean is also co-founder and director of Wauhatchie School, the first forest school in the state of Tennessee. Training can be completed within 1-4 weeks, with tuition rates from $45 to $595 (group rates available.) Applications and more information are available at www.forestteacher.org. Summer classes begin June 15 and will continue throughout the year.In Bloom in Vermont
Online
VT
In Bloom in Vermont will be a digital conference co-sponsored
by the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier on 5 June
2021 from 12:30 to 4:30. This conference will accommodate 150
participants. In Bloom in Western Mass
Hitchcock Center for the Environment
Amherst, MA
In Bloom in Western Massachusetts will happen on 15 May
2021 from 9:00 – 4:00 at the beautiful Hitchcock Center for
the Environment in Amherst, Massachusetts. The maples,
sassafras and inspiring ideas will be flowering by this time
in the spring. Hopefully, we’ll mostly be immunized and the
pandemic will be a fading memory. Talking with Parents and Colleagues about Outdoor Play
You know it is important, you have seen what’s possible when you take children outside and give them the time, space, materials and permission to play! How do we communicate this with parents and colleagues who only see the barriers or negative aspects of taking children outdoors? How can we support adults so children can have access to this fundamental experience of childhood? In this session, Bora and I will give examples, share experiences and resources to support you in advocating for outdoor play and learning at your childcare program or school.Nature Play Lifestyle
It takes extra effort to get infants and toddlers ready to go outside. We have to help them to get dressed, pack essentials among other things. We might feel like "is it really worth it?" "Do they need to go outside?!' But when you take a baby outside, they are instantly calm. Babies are natural investigators. They spend time observing, exploring, and discovering the workings of the natural world. This workshop is designed to help you plan activities to support a babies brain development and super easy ways to help babies connect with nature.Dodge Nature Preschool Learning Conference
Join Dodge Nature Preschool for a half-day, virtual conference designed to inspire and encourage outdoor learning in early childhood. Find inspiration, engage in dialogue with colleagues, and gain practical ideas to help incorporate nature-based education into your classroom and school environment.Physical Activity in the Early Years
Guess what? Children are more active when they are outdoors. Simply taking children outdoors allows them to move their bodies in different ways - they can be bigger, louder and faster! You have probably experienced this already with the children you work with! In this session Leah and I will share the fundamentals of physical literacy in the early years and connect this all to getting outside. We will also discuss risky play and the role educators have in supporting this important experience for children. You will leave this session with practical ideas and resources for supporting outdoor play and physical activity outdoors.Forest and Nature Preschool Bootcamp
If you are starting a new forest or nature preschool program (including childcare and home school classes), our intensive 12-clock hour Forest and Nature Preschool Bootcamp can help you get started! We address a range of topics including: -Honing your vision, mission, and educational philosophy -Establishing program basics like daily rhythm, class sizes, schedules -Business planning/determining a business structure -Locations and partners -Licensing considerations -How to set tuition, compensate staff, and create a program budget -Policies and practices for your parent handbook -Creating greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in your program -Safety and risk management, including liability insurance needs -Finding and hiring great staff -Marketing your program -Evaluation Your course facilitator is Monica Wiedel-Lubinski, director of ERAFANS, founder/cofounder of three nature preschool programs in Maryland, coauthor of award-winning Nature Play Workshop for Families, and consultant to countless others starting forest and nature schools in the U.S. and abroad. Learn more at www.erafans.org/calendar.Outdoor Teacher Retreat
Painted Oak Nature School
174 Lambertville Hopewell Rd.
Hopewell, NJ 08525
After a long winter, gathering in person sure will be sweet. Join us as we discover best practices and approaches to nature-based education. Presenters share insights and activities based on their work in nature preschools, forest kindergartens, or other nature-based programs.
This training is ideal for educators, caregivers, and others working with children three to six years old. Attendees work in all kinds of settings, from nature-based schools and forest kindergartens to public schools, traditional preschools, HeadStart programs, childcare centers, daycare, and more. Breakfast is included, but pack a lunch and bring your canteen for drinks.
ERAFANS will provide a professional development certificate at the conclusion of the event. Please dress for the weather, as 100% of this training takes place outdoors, rain or shine.
COVID-19 protocols are in place including a Health Check (form to complete prior to arrival), temperature check, and required use of face coverings. Participants should bring an outdoor camping chair or blanket to physically distance during the training. Your confirmation email contains further details. Learn more online at www.erafans.org/otr-nj. Nature Play Lifestyle
it’s easy to say “children need to spend time outside.” But where do you even start? There are so many questions that might pop into your head and leave you feeling overwhelmed. I am here to break down those walls and shine the light on how to take children outdoors. In this live zoom workshop we will address: What unstructured nature play is, Why it is important, & How to facilitate. You will leave this workshop feeling empowered to take children outside and simples steps to start leading nature play activities with children.Outdoor Learning In a Nutshell: Taking Learning Outdoors
This 12-hour course pairs benefits of outdoor learning with strategies for implementation at your preschool, daycare, public or private elementary school setting. As we move through the course, you will examine the physical spaces in your program (indoors and out) and explore ways to harness them for healthy outdoor play and learning. We will also identify ways that outdoor learning aligns with curriculum and discuss how to demonstrate the benefits to stakeholders such as fellow staff, administrators, maintenance crew, and parents. We will discuss practical approaches to moving class outside and help your team transform teaching practices to confidently teach in outdoor settings. This includes considerations for sites in urban and rural settings, guidance on risk management, planning for diverse learner needs, and low- or no-cost options for materials. Taking cues from nature-based programs and forest schools, we will highlight resources and research throughout as models of outdoor learning. Participants will leave with strategies, tools, and a supportive network of colleagues to make outdoor learning a reality! The format of this interactive course is a combination of facilitated discussion, work in a smaller cohort of teachers, and asynchronous independent learning experiences. Sorry, this is not a pre-recorded 'on-demand' class; it is designed for interactive learning in real time. Learn more at www.erafans.org/calendar.Assessing Outdoor Play Spaces …. What to look for and why
With an increased emphasis on the importance of outdoor environments, there is a need to design outdoor spaces that provide children with numerous opportunities to engage in rich and dynamic experiences, play and experimentation. This interactive workshop will introduce participants to strategies and processes in assessing outdoor play space designs for the varied experiential requirements children benefit from. Participants will be introduced to a variety of zones that are used when examining space and in imagining new ways of offering children enriching spaces and places to engage in.Pedagogical Documentation in Outdoor Environments
Offering various outdoor play options for children is important. But what happens next? How can we further enrich children’s engagement and learning outdoors? Using outdoor play pedagogical documentation, we can see how children make meaning of the world around them and therefore, contribute to deepening their outdoor learning experiences. This session will examine outdoor play pedagogical documentation as a tool to engage in reflective practice, expand children’s learning and collaborate with families and community members.Pedagogical Documentation in Outdoor Environments
Offering various outdoor play options for children is important. But what happens next? How can we further enrich children’s engagement and learning outdoors? Using outdoor play pedagogical documentation, we can see how children make meaning of the world around them and therefore, contribute to deepening their outdoor learning experiences. This session will examine outdoor play pedagogical documentation as a tool to engage in reflective practice, expand children’s learning and collaborate with families and community members.Nature-Based Teacher Certification (Level 1)
We are thrilled to offer our Nature-Based Teacher Certification as an online option! You will gain a deeper understanding of nature pedagogy and practices as you earn this introductory credential. Our engaging, 36-hour course provides in-depth study of best practices in nature-based early childhood education to prepare you for meaningful outdoor learning experiences. We draw from experienced educators with diverse perspectives to help you hone your own approaches to nature-based ECE. Whether you are in a formal school or childcare setting or working in a nature or forest preschool, this course is designed to meet the needs of early childhood educators working in any setting. Visit www.erafans.org/teacher-certification for details.Loose Parts - Inspiration for Indoor and Outdoor Play
Loose parts are open-ended materials that inspire creativity, imagination, problem-solving and most importantly, child-led play. These materials are real things, not expensive toys we need to purchase with our already limited budgets. In this webinar, Veronica and I will be giving examples of how loose parts can support children’s interests in indoor and outdoor environments. For example… Are children interested in ramps? What can this look like indoors? How can you extend this interest into your outdoor space using different materials? You will leave this session with ideas for loose parts and be inspired to create learning experiences that flow between the indoors and outdoors. This session will also include break-out time to talk in small groups with your colleagues about your experiences with this topic and share inspiration and ideas together. Audience: Early childhood educators and kindergarten teachers.- ‹ previous
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