Mon.-Tues., August 15-16, 2022

Camp Albemarle, newport, NC

for more information and To register, please email Emily.

About this Nature-Based Training    

Outdoor learning is possible, no matter the age group you work with! Bring your teaching team for 2 full days of outdoor, immersive learning and hone nature-based practices at your school or center. If you're looking for helpful PD before heading back to school, this can help get your team into a naturally inspired frame of mind.

ERAFANS facilitators will lead workshops designed for those working with Pre-K to 5th grade students. Built in time for team collaboration means you will head home ready to hit the ground running with new ideas!  *Note: Please bring your canteen for drinks and pack a lunch. 

Participants will receive a professional development certificate for 12 clock hours at the end of the 2-day workshop; group discounts available for 3 or more teachers from the same program.

Schedule

Monday, August 15, 2022 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Kick off the two days of learning with a full day of workshops with topics and content relevant to those working with preschool and elementary school age students. General naturalist knowledge and earth skills will be incorporated during outdoor time, as well.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
For today's workshops, we will dig into finding a balance between emergent curriculum and intentional activities that link to curricula. We will explore additional outdoor activities for children and provide space for educators to test them out! We will also reserve time for teaching teams to plan activities and approaches around new ideas. 

Workshop Descriptions

Monday, August 15

Unpacking Emergent Curriculum (for School Age Educators)| 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

What does it mean to facilitate child-led learning outdoors? How do teachers connect the dots between unstructured play and skill development? How can your teaching team prepare for emergent learning without structured lesson plans, yet still address key learning standards and curricular requirements? This engaging workshop will explore important questions and practical solutions for nature-based educators.

Nature-Based Learning, Indoors and Out (for Preschool Educators) | 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Discover ways nature-based concepts can enhance any curriculum. Teachers will explore hands-on approaches to inquiry and outdoor learning and consider ways to invite nature indoors to classroom settings. This lively training includes a blend of outdoor experiences, group discussion, and slides to exemplify how to bring nature-based learning inside and out.

Linking Outdoor Learning to Development Domains (for teaching teams) | 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Let's put our morning work to the test and think about how to use intentional teaching and emergent approaches to support learning across the learning domains and standards. This will be done with entire teaching teams to build capacity for Program and Center-wide growth. 

Tuesday, August 16

Risky Outdoor Play & Childhood Passions| 9:30 -11 a.m.

What are the benefits to risky outdoor play? How do you balance healthy risk-taking with the reality of safety considerations outdoors? What tools and practices can protect children, staff, and the program as whole? How do you talk to families about risks versus hazards? We'll use this time to explore how we can foster childhood passions while engaging in developmentally appropriate risky play outdoors. 

Play, Policy, and Assessment| 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Gather with your teaching team to explore tools many educators use in nature-based teaching and begin to think about bringing new risky practices to your program. 

Risky Play in Practice| 1-3:30 p.m.

Using our morning experiences as inspiration, we will examine important considerations for risky play and craft a tailored approach to help you communicate your unique philosophy on risk-taking.