WAEYC

WAEYC & WaNPA are collaborating to address environmental and climate justice, including equitable access to high-quality outdoor learning, by offering a weekend institute for early childhood educators this spring, and we hope you will join us.

As you know, every child deserves to experience the many benefits of outdoor play and learning, but not all communities have safe access to outdoor spaces. Early childhood educators need a space to explore how to support the communities we serve who are highly impacted by racism and pollution – the same communities who also face higher risk and greater impacts from climate change – that is the purpose of this institute.

Dates: May 3 & 4, 2025

Format: Virtual

Whether you are unfamiliar with and, perhaps, even averse to taking learning outdoors, or whether you already engage students in learning & play outdoors and are looking to strengthen your roots – no matter where you are in your growth toward expanded play & learning outdoors, seedling to sapling to mature tree, we are all members of the grove and we thrive when growing together.

Learning Tracks

All sessions will be grounded in solutions to address intersectional justice issues (environmental, climate, and social). Some sessions are identified as fundamental, some intermediate. Attendees do not need to stick to one “track” for the whole institute, but please plan to stay in a selected session until it finishes whenever possible.

• Fundamental – Sessions intended for those seeking an introduction to best practices and methodologies or additional insight into the subject matter. Sessions at this level are designed to provide fundamentals.
• Intermediate – Sessions intended for professionals with some development experience who want to enhance their skills, master more complicated techniques and gain an in-depth understanding of best practices and methodologies.