Member Spotlight

Turning Sun School, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and place-based education. The children, teachers, and parents work together on year-long projects following the methods of the project approach.

This NAEYC-accredited, West Philadelphia program connects children to nature rain or shine and helps other Philadelphia educators incorporate outdoor play and learning into their own programs.

Building Blocks Preschool in Highland, Michigan, has been operating for nearly 20 years. Get to know this nature-based school in our latest Member Spotlight!

Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program that includes curriculum and professional development for early childhood environmental education.

Check out this new program and their emphasis on family and health! Tiny Explorers is a program presented by the Children’s Forest of Central Oregon. Tiny Explorers encourages new parents to kickstart a healthy life enjoying the outdoors by getting their little ones outdoors starting at a young age.

Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School in Maryland, like many schools, is on a journey to create a more just, equitable learning community for their students and families. Hear from the school's director, Lesley Romanoff, to learn more about Takoma Park's story.

Nature Niños is dedicated to providing youth across the state with opportunities to connect with nature, build confidence, and foster a deep sense of environmental stewardship.

Author and consultant Herb Broda helps teachers use nature and the outdoors as a classroom.

Eliza Minnucci founded a public school kindergarten Forest Day program and now team-teaches and leads professional development to help other teachers take their students outside.

Little Schoolhouse in the Woods is a nonprofit outdoor early education program based in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing in-home childcare since 2010. The program was founded by Lee and Jason Hamzy, whose love of nature and professional experience in education led them to launch the program from their own two-acre property.

'Kids Afield' is a collaborative project developed by three teachers at an N-12 Independent School that uses technology (specifically kid-cameras) as a focus tool to connect K-1 students to nature. Started in September of 2012, in its second year we hope our model can be exported to other schools and groups working with young children in natural environments.

We sat down with preschool director Marty Watson to learn more about this long-running program, and glean some words of wisdom for new programs.