//MERIT STARS CEUs available//
Relating current research about today's lifestyle and child development issues, we will explore the benefits of different outdoor learning environments and how parents, teachers, and caregivers can make simple changes with big impacts. We will compare some of the current trends in outdoor education, staying aware of the many obstacles that exist relating to outdoor learning, and some of the simplest and most effective solutions.
Using participants' real-life scenarios, we will identify outdoor design elements, experiences, enhancements, and issues in group dialogue and breakout sessions. We will also view some videos showing some of the inspiring work now being done relating to outdoor learning.
By the end of the workshop, all participants should be able to identify goals for their own programs and specific locations and envision simple, do-able changes to increase their children's time in nature, both unstructured creative free play and adult-guided experiences. Everyone caring for children — no matter whether in a home-based or institutional setting, urban or suburban, academic or play-based — can be part of the "New Nature" movement!
