Member Spotlight

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.

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.

Get to know Natural Start member, NOLA Nature School, a nature-based early learning program operating in the urban and lively environment of New Orleans, Louisiana!

The Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, is home to the Nike Child Development Program (NCDP), which reflects Nike’s commitment to sustainable practices and active lifestyles.

Every year, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science welcomes 100,000 visitors to its trails, exhibits, and collections. An increasing number of those visitors bring along young children to climb a tree in the Preschool Room, play with puppets, visit animal habitats, and listen to captivating stories under the guidance of preschool education staff. Find out how early childhood programs fit into the Museum's mission and what advice the Museum has for other natural science institutions that want to better serve young children and their caregivers.

Get to know more about the Saint Louis Zoo Preschool, a Reggio-inspired, nature-based preschool, which opened in 2014.

Woodland Star International School is situated among lush tea fields in Kenya's highlands. The school is Reggio Emilia inspired and takes a project approach to learning so that children can explore nature and sustainability.

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.

Get to know Natural Start member, Little Leaf, a nature preschool enrolling children ages 2-5, with three locations in New York state.