CONNECTING NEBRASKAS YOUNG CHILDREN FAMILIES WITH NATURE CONCEIVING

CONNECTING NEBRASKA’S YOUNG CHILDREN & FAMILIES WITH NATURE CONCEIVING NEW PATHWAYS ~ Photo credit: Portland Trails, a land trust in Portland, Maine, USA

Imagine rich environments. . . , Photo thank you to Claire Warden, Scotland, UK

, . w. e es. n n i v i a t c G e p s r pe Photo thanks to National Arbor Day Foundation

Expect play. . . , Photo thanks to participants of Working Forum on Nature Education: National Arbor Day Foundation & Erik Nelson,

Grow new partnerships. . . , Photo credit: National Arbor Day Foundation & Laura Newman of Portland Trails

Watch and Wonder as dreams grow. . . , Photo thanks to: Laura Newman, Schoolground Greening Coordinator for Portland Trails, a land trust in Portland, Maine, USA.

Stretch to grow. . . , Photo credit: Thank you to Claire Warden, Scotland, UK

If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it. ” David Sobel Photo thanks to : Nature Explore Classroom at Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City, NE

Photo thanks to Riverfield Country Day School Tulsa OK

Oh, the places we’ll go. . . , Photo thanks to Nature Explore Classroom at Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City, NE

Naturally, In Nebraska. . . , ~ Inspired by the Working Forum on Nature Education~ The Nebraska Department of Education, The Early Childhood Training Center, the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, and the National Arbor Day Foundation are partnering to provide on-going support and assistance to the participants in the Nebraska Day at the Working Forum on Nature Education for Young Children: Connecting the World’s Children with Nature. These partners welcome others to engage in this journey to make nature education a sustaining and enriching part of the daily lives of Nebraska’s children, and indeed, the world’s children. ﮭ Nebraska Nature Education Network This network brings together a wide variety of individuals and organizations with a commitment to promote more connection of children and families with nature. ﮭ Nature Classroom Pilot Sites Six early childhood classrooms and two family child care homes will be recipients of mini-grants to begin implementation of nature education environments and curriculum in their programs. ﮭ Nature Education Technical Assistance Dimensions, the National Arbor Day Foundation, the Nebraska Department of Education, the Early Childhood Training Center, and Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children will offer assistance and ideas to help in the development or modification of outdoor spaces in schools or early education facilities – to begin in early 2007. Opportunities will be provided to interact with experts in landscape design, city planning, environmental and other related fields. Local nurseries are being encouraged to participate, as well, in this effort. ﮭ Nature Explore Workshops One day workshops will first be offered Dec. 1 and 2, presented by Dimensions at the Nature Classroom at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. A schedule of future workshops is also being developed.

ﮭ Nature Education Train the Trainers Dimensions, in collaboration with the Early Childhood Training Center, will offer a series beginning in 2007. Participation is welcome to qualified individuals, not limited to Nebraska. ﮭ Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines – a nature education supplement The Nebraska Department of Education, along with the Early Childhood Training Center, is supporting the preparation of supplemental materials to encourage the use of nature education curriculum in the implementation of the state’s voluntary early learning standards in programs birth through age five. These resources will be widely disseminated in 2007, including at the early learning domain workshops currently being hosted throughout the state. This addendum will complement a publication being developed by Dimensionsand the National Arbor Day Foundation, Learning with Nature Idea Book. ﮭ Nature Education Position Statement The urgency for greater connection of young children and nature has spurred the development of a position paper on nature and young children. This effort will bring both visibility and guidance to the critical need for effective and developmentally appropriate practices that include nature education, and that will foster optimum and healthy development of young children. ﮭ Nature Education website The Early Childhood Training Center hosts dedicated web pages to bring current events and links to local, state and international resources to support nature education http: //ectc. education. ne. gov/nature. htm For more information about the Nebraska Nature Education activities, contact: Carol Fichter, NDE Early Childhood Training Center, carol. fichter@nebraska. gov Mary Beth Pistillo, NDE Early Childhood Training Center, marybeth. pistillo@nebraska. gov Nancy Rosenow, Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, nancyr@dimensionsfoundation. org Materials presented to NAECS-SDE Annual Meeting, November 6&&, 2006