Getting Started with Nature-based Education: An on-demand workshop
An on-demand workshop for your next professional development day! A pre-recorded video, facilitator’s guide, and discussion prompts are included.
Goal: To explore the foundations of nature-based education and ways to begin supporting children learning WITH nature.
Duration: 2-4 hours (2 hour, 9 minute video runtime; discussion & activities can be as short or as long as you'd like with time suggestions ranging from 75 minutes to 2 hours)
Given the nature of digital downloads, all sales are final and cannot be refunded.
Are you looking for a professional development opportunity to get you and/or your team on the same page about nature-based teaching but have a tight budget?
The Getting Started in Nature-based Education On-Demand Workshop can help!
Nature-based teaching is becoming increasingly popular–and for good reason! It’s widely known that spending time outdoors enhances children’s physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development. However, high-quality nature-based early childhood education (NbECE) doesn’t happen overnight. It’s also not an approach typically taught in teacher preparation programs. Getting Started with Nature-Based Education will help your team to understand the core components of the approach and its positive impact on young children. This on-demand workshop will provide a strong foundation for your team to build on in the coming weeks and months. The workshop will provide tangible ideas, no matter your starting point, to better integrate nature into your program structure, physical environment (Inside, Outside, and Beyond), and teacher-led activities.
In this workshop you and your team will learn to:
Discover the power of nature: Explore how nature captivates young minds, sparks curiosity, and fosters a love for learning. The course will highlight the numerous benefits of nature-based education and its significance in early childhood development.
Prepare an inspiring learning environment: Gain valuable insights to prepare an engaging learning environment that encourages exploration and growth by connecting to nature-based experiences. These environments include the Inside classroom, Outdoor play area, and spaces Beyond the fence.
Create connected teacher-led activities: Discover the importance of teacher-led activities that follow children’s interests, are related to the season, and connect the learning between the Inside, Outside, and Beyond classroom experiences.
Cultivate a positive learning community: As an educator in nature-based education, your attitude and language play a crucial role in fostering a positive learning environment. This course will highlight the importance of a nurturing atmosphere that encourages curiosity and positive outdoor experiences.
When you purchase this workshop you’ll receive a downloadable Facilitator’s Guide (PDF) including...
A video link so you can schedule the in-service workshop at a time that works best for your team
Prompts to encourage discussions among your team about nature-based education in your program
Printable worksheets to build on the video content and encourage reflection and discussion within the team
Certificate of completion so you can document and get credit for the time spent on this professional learning
Enroll now in Getting Started with Nature-Based Education and witness the transformation in your teaching and the impact that has on children as they learn in and with the natural world.
This on-demand workshop is perfect for educators looking for team development, as a teaching tool in pre-service education, or for individual professional learning.
Want to level up this workshop?
Schedule a Live Q&A call with Rachel! A Q&A session with Rachel is an especially high value addition if you are using these courses for a team of educators. You and your team can expect open discussion to address questions, concerns, and thoughts specific to YOUR program. If you’re interested in scheduling, check page 3 of the Facilitator’s Guide for a link to schedule and pay for a 30-minute or 1-hour call.
Meet your instructor
Rachel A. Larimore, Ph.D., is an educator, consultant, speaker, researcher, and author. Her work focuses on the intentional integration of nature to support young children’s holistic development by learning with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. She has written multiple books including Establishing a Nature-Based Preschool, Preschool Beyond Walls: Blending Early Childhood Education and Nature-Based Learning, and Evaluating Nature: Evaluating Natureness: Measuring the Quality of Nature-based Classrooms in Pre-k Through 3rd Grade. Prior to founding Samara, she spent more than a decade starting and directing one of the first nature-based preschools in the United States. She also serves on the advisory board of the Natural Start Alliance, a professional association supporting nature-based educators.