Working with Families & Community

Course Overview

Nature preschools and forest kindergartens are special kinds of places, different from conventional early childhood programs. Parents, caretakers and community members, who may not be familiar with the aims and practices of nature-based programs, can benefit from education. Families may need to be prepared to provide appropriate outdoor clothing, do regular tick checks, and think about children’s learning in new ways. They may also be called on to volunteer in the school and to help with promotion and fundraising. We’ll consider how to partner with families and forge links to the wider community. Communication is central to our work: we’ll hone our skills as we participate in mock parent conferences, examine and create materials that describe programs to families, and practice working with parents who have questions or concerns.

Course Materials: Students should contact the course instructor and review the course syllabus for information related to course materials/texts.