Event
Natural Start Forum: Exploring Cultural Connections to Nature

five children leaning on rail on wooden bridge at park

Date

Event Type

Webinar

Topic

  • Curriculum and Teaching
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Program Design and Management

How do we develop programs that are welcoming and inclusive to all members of our communities? What does it mean to be culturally relevant? This forum will explore how parents and educators in one community approach these questions. We heard stories from a public school educator, a parent, and a nature-based preschool founder in Minneapolis, MN, as they shared their different paths to nature and what culturally relevant teaching means to them. 

Related resources:

Books: 

Speakers

  • Thenedra Roots

    Thenedra Roots

    Thenedra is a wife and a mother to 4 boys. She also has a Great Dane and 4 hens. She enjoys traveling with her family, dining out at new food places, and being a content creator. Thenedra grew up camping and has had a love for the outdoors since she was young. She now find great joy in experiencing it all over again through the eyes of her young children.

  • Maria Jose Villavicencio Moreno

    Maria Jose Villavicencio Moreno

    Maria Jose Villavicencio Moreno was born in Cuenca, Ecuador, and immigrated to Eden Prairie, MN, when she was 13 years old. Her childhood in Ecuador was filled with nature—visiting beaches, rainforests, and mountains were regular activities for her family. Upon moving to Minnesota, time outdoors was more of a luxury, with barriers that made it harder and harder to enjoy outdoor experiences. Maria has been an elementary school teacher for 23 years, where she’s seen many children facing similar barriers to getting outdoors. This led Maria to become an advocate for outdoor learning. She and a colleague founded Wilderness Wednesdays at their school and now they create opportunities for students to go sledding, snow shoeing, and simply explore their nearby nature. She looks forward to seeing where her and her students’ outdoor adventures will lead. 
  • Ana Morice

    Ana Morice

    Ana is a mother of two children, nature lover and passionate educator. She started her journey back in Costa Rica as a SpEd teacher. On the side, she co directed nature camps and deliver outdoor experiences for her elementary school students. She moved 6 years ago to Minnesota, where she found an amazing nature learning community that encouraged her to follow her passion for nature and children. She is the founder of the new Amigos del Bosque nature preschool outside Minneapolis.