Pathway To Nature Preschool Program
In some of Boston’s most dangerous neighborhoods, parents cannot walk their children to school or let them play outdoors. Struggling with poverty, low-wage jobs and crowded housing, these families simply lack the resources to consistently get children into nature.
Recognizing this deep need, a new program aims to step in, to ensure that Boston’s disadvantaged children get a chance to experience nature--as every child should. The “Pathway to Nature Preschool Program,” a proposed project by the Children’s Investment Fund and Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center is designed to provide regular outdoor play in a natural setting for the city’s low-income preschool-aged children.
The Boston Nature Center is a 67-acre wildlife sanctuary in the heart of an urban neighborhood. By renovating an existing building on site and re-opening its doors as a supplemental preschool, the Pathway to Nature program could host area preschool classes for one day each week, throughout the school year.
Pathway to Nature has brought together experts to create this program, including leaders in early, environmental and teacher education; facilities design and development; and curriculum development and evaluation. Potential partners include: ABCD Head Start and Associated Early Care and Education, which provide early education to some of Boston’s neediest children and could identify eligible preschool classes; Lesley University, which offers both access to student teachers and expertise in curriculum development, research and evaluation; and Boston Nature Center naturalists, which could work with early childhood and environmental educators to develop a hands-on curriculum.
By providing 2-3 years of consistent outdoor play and exploration, Pathway to Nature hopes to generate an important and lasting impact on children’s health and development, while sparking life-long awareness and care for the environment. If successful, this pilot could provide the tools -- a basic curriculum, professional development for teachers and means to evaluate impact on student health, development and appreciation of nature – for other programs across the country.
To Learn More
Boston Nature Center or Massachusetts Audubon Society
jbrandlen@massaudubon.org
500 Walk Hill Street,
Mattapan, MA, 02126
617.983.8500 x6901
