Member Spotlight

Cibolo Nature School in Boerne, Texas, provides nature and place-based learning to children ages 3-5 with a curriculum inspired by Montessori, Reggio, and Waldorf methodologies. Learn more about their approach to risk management and serving their diverse community.

At Dondero Elementary, Forest Fridays began with just two classrooms exploring the wooded area behind their school. Today, more than half of the schools' classes participate and the two teachers who started the program hope sharing their experience can help others begin similar programs in public schools.

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.

With five licensed nature preschools, Mass Audubon serves as a leader in New England in the nature-based early learning movement.

After being approached by their state licensor in 2016, the Squaxin Island Child Development Center began their journey to open their first licensed, outdoor preschool class. The outdoor program has already expanded to include two classes, with a growing waiting list.

Juniper Hill School for Place-Based Education opened in 2011 on 42 acres of beautiful, nature-rich landscape. This landscape serves as more than a backdrop to learning. Students learn from and about the landscape, establishing a lifelong connection with the land.

Now Nature School was founded on the idea that children learn best when nature is one of their teachers. Located in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, the curriculum highlights the diversity and cultural richness of the school’s community and natural environment.

Elements Preschool was created to provide children living in the heart of NYC with daily access to nature and nature-based activities and education.

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.

Dublin, OH, is committed to providing the best quality of life and environment to its 40,000+ residents. We were intrigued to learn about the city's many nature-based programs for young children and asked Barbara Ray, Dublin's Nature Education Coordinator, to tell us more about them!

A popular early childhood program of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Campbell Creek Science Center in Anchorage, AK, was recently expanded with the help of a local preschool teacher.

The 40-acre Woodend Nature Sanctuary, just minutes from Washington, DC, is the headquarters of the Audubon Naturalist Society as well as the home of the Audubon Nature Preschool.