Interested in connecting with fellow educators?

The Early Childhood Hoosiers Outdoors (ECHO) Network is designed to support education practitioners wanting to get students into outdoor learning settings.  We meet on the second Monday of odd months at 4 pm by zoom.

This month, Molly Tyler, a YMCA Early Learning Preschool teacher, will give us an overview of her first year as a Nature School and how she incorporated High Scope Curriculum.  In addition, she will be sharing what they have accomplished and ideas on what she’s already working on for next year.  

Molly holds a Bachelors in Elementary Education and is certified in Nature School. This is her 20th year teaching preschool. She lives on a small homestead where she raises her own beef, chickens and recently added some goats. She loves to can food for her family and her summers are always very busy canning her seasonal garden vegetables. Molly loves being outside in all weather. Nature school was such a natural step for her wonderful preschool and she can’t wait to share with others! 

The purpose of this network includes:

• A group of peers: Connecting educators and administrators for support, guidance, encouragement, troubleshooting, etc.
• A common space for sharing resources and best practices
• Opportunities for professional development
• Shared advocacy and continuing education around nature-based programs
• Program observation
• and more!

The network was inspired by a surge of interest in program formats such as Nature Preschools, Forest Kindergartens, and Forest Schools; however, it is an inclusive group for those working with young children in any format. Our interests center on developmentally-appropriate educational opportunities for children in outdoor settings, whether in the woods, on the prairie, or in the schoolyard.

We want this network to be dynamic and responsive to emerging needs of participants. We encourage you to join us on this journey of mutual exploration and learning!

If you are interested in knowing more, sign up below to join. Participants will be added to a Google group to get email updates for monthly meeting times and to post question to others within the group. If you have previously registered for any other ECHO Network sessions, you do not need to register again as you will automatically receive the zoom link via the Google group.