The North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, VT, is delighted to offer Educating Children Outdoors: ECO Level 1, designed to apply integrated academic curricula beyond the pre-K-6th grade classroom, while immersed in and participating with nature as a learning partner. The course provides inquiry-based learning through intensive experiential lessons, activities, and discussions entirely held outdoors. Participants will explore, create and experiment within specific ECO lessons catered to the daily topic. Daily reflection on one’s own personal growth is an integral part of the nature immersion learning model and will be practiced in the course. A successful nature immersion model allows for students to have choices, to be respected and trusted, and to take risks. Students will develop an understanding of risks vs. hazards as to prepare for and encourage safe risk taking in the outdoor classroom.

During this course, we experience a week-long rhythm of place-based curriculum within which is the daily rhythm of the core routines. This daily rhythm mirrors the experience of elementary students during a typical day of ECO. Students close the week envisioning integration of the philosophies and practices that are built into a nature immersion experience. This educational model holds the potential to advance one’s interdependence and enliven the sensory palette of its learners, promoting deep kinesthetic learning alongside theory.

All lessons given to participants to use in their own classroom are aligned to Vermont State Standards, Common Core and NGSS when applicable. Curriculum meets elementary standards-based objectives when lessons and units are practiced outdoors. Please leave all laptops and computers at home so we can fully immerse ourselves in nature this week!