Description
All Friends Nature School is a San Diego based outdoor education program that uses natural areas as their “classroom.” Children learn best through whole body sensory experiences and what a better way to do this than outside. Our mission is to give children a deeper connection and experience with nature by hands on experiential play based learning.
Children today are longing for this connection with nature, this whole body sensory experience. My mission is to bring back childhood. A childhood unplugged. One that promotes self reliance, a love of nature and a passion of learning. “Connections are formed between brain cells when children participate in meaningful activities like hiking, gardening, watching animals, nature explorations and hence learning takes place.” Nature is a key factor in developing and inquiring minds.
“Environment-based education produces student gains in social studies, science, language arts, and math; improves standardized test scores and grade-point averages; and develops skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making.” -Richard Louv, Last Child left in the Woods
All Friends Nature School utilizes place, play, experiential and emergent based learning. Incorporating pedagogies from Steiner, Reggio Emilia and Growing Up Wild from Project Wild.
Hi, I’m Susan, Founder and Lead Teacher at All Friends Nature School. Growing up in a rural town in Virginia, my childhood was surrounded by nature. My brother, sister, cousins and I would spend all our days outside, always looking for our next adventure. Climbing trees, catching bugs, making mud pies or skipping stones in the stream are some of my fondest memories. My love for nature was so apparent that I was given the nickname “pigpen” as I would come home covered in mud and would have leaves and sticks in my hair.
My love for nature continued to grow into my adult life taking me on many traveling adventures. Although, the biggest adventure was becoming a parent to two amazing boys. Having a background in early childhood development, in 2007 I started a home daycare business with an emphasis on nature and arts. My vision of a Nature Preschool has continued to grow each year. I have always felt that nature would always be a part of my life, my children’s life and the life of the the little ones I teach.
Did you know that Ms. Susan also has training on ‘Growing Up Wild?’ An early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. In addition Ms. Susan has completed level 2 training in Forest Kindergarten and continues her education at The Academy of Forest Kindergarten Teachers. Anticipated completion of level 3 summer of 2019.