Rooted, Life Lab, and Wisconsin School Garden Network present
Teaching in Nature’s Classroom: a free online course for educators
In a garden we are able to cultivate children’s love of learning, their appreciation of healthy food, and their connection to the natural world. With vision, commitment, and some good hard work, educators and families around the globe are ripping up pavement, sowing seeds, and growing garden classrooms because they believe children need to be engaged by hands-on learning in a context that matters to them. This course, developed as a companion for the book Teaching in Nature’s Classroom: Principles of Garden-Based Education, provides opportunities for educators to consider different methodologies when teaching in garden-based settings.
We will offer the course again for free in January 2025
The general course, which is relevant for people working with children of all ages, will be offered again for free beginning in January 2025. To receive an email notification when registration opens, please click on the link below to submit your contact information. We hope to offer the ECE version of the course again in the future. If we are able to offer the course again you can sign up to be notified by clicking on the link below.
Cost: Free!
Participants also have the option of registering for 2 graduate credits through the University of the Pacific for $160 (see more details below)
Dates: The course runs 15 weeks
This is a self-directed, 30-hour course so you can choose to finish the course prior to the end date
Location: Online through Google Classroom
You will need an @gmail.com email address to participate in this course.
Instructors: Erica Krug, Farm to School Director, Rooted
Course Description: This course, developed as a companion for the book Teaching in Nature’s Classroom: Principles of Garden-Based Education, provides opportunities for educators to consider different methodologies when teaching in garden-based settings, with a focus on school and community youth gardens. Intended for educators new to outdoor and garden-based learning, as well as those who are experienced in the field, this course also offers opportunities to reflect on their own teaching practice in outdoor learning environments.
The coursework is intended to be useful and inspirational. You should plan for 30 hours total to complete the course. This course is designed to be flexible and self-directed so you can fulfill the course requirements according to your optimal timeframe and in relation to your concurrent teaching duties and other obligations.
If you have any questions about the course itself or registering for the course, please email erica@rootedwi.org. If you have any questions about accessing and using Google Classroom, please refer to our FAQ page.
Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Optional Graduate-Level Professional Development Credit: If you would you like to register for 2 Semester Units of Credit through the University of the Pacific (UOP) for a total of $160 ($80/credit), please indicate this by selecting “Yes” in the final question on the registration form.
This course is brought to you by Rooted, whose work and collaborations are grounded in food, land, and learning, Life Lab, a national leader in the garden-based learning movement, and the Wisconsin School Garden Network.
