Member Spotlight

The Cincinnati Nature Center Preschool is a nature-based program licensed through the state of Ohio. Learn more about their journey to becoming a five-star program and how they made the decision to expand to K-2nd grade this fall.

The Frazer Center’s Child Development Program places inclusion at the heart of its mission. Nestled in an old-growth forest in the heart of Atlanta, Frazer Center is on a journey to develop a forest-based curriculum that would give more children in Atlanta the opportunity to experience the natural world.

Learn about The Planet Discovery Centre, a nature-based program in Gujarat, India. At The Planet, children learn to care for themselves and the world around them, building a foundation for lifelong environmental literacy.

Brooklyn Park Nature Preschool sets equity and inclusion as one of their primary program goals. Nearly 40% of students enrolled are children of color and 15% of families receive some form of financial aid. Read their Member Spotlight to learn how they approach equity and inclusion and what advice they have for other nature preschools.

Red Oaks Forest School was built on a simple idea—spend more time in nature. It has since grown to include a variety of nature immersion programs that support the needs of the community. In our September Member Spotlight, learn more about how nature-based early learning is taking root in Eastern Kentucky.

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.