Published March 15, 2022
Educators, childcare pros and families invited to Miami Valley Leave No Child Inside Summit
Heads up! This article was published 2 years ago.
Teachers, childcare professionals and families are invited to discover new ways to connect children with nature during the 10th annual Miami Valley Leave No Child Inside Summit, held on April 2 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Possum Creek MetroPark, 4790 Frytown Rd. Registration is required for the free summit and can be completed online. Additional workshops will be held after the summit starting at 12:30 p.m. and require a separate registration.
The summit begins with networking opportunities until 8:30 a.m., after which participants can tour Possum Creek MetroPark’s new nature play area. Keynote speaker and Five Rivers MetroParks’ regional park manager Mike Osborne will offer his insights on developing nature play areas during “Lessons Learned on Nature Play Builds.”
“We are so excited to offer this 10th summit from Miami Valley Leave No Child Inside (MVLNCI),” said MetroParks education coordinator Doug Horvath. “This year’s summit features nature play, which creates access and opportunity for children to spend more quality time outdoors.”
In addition to the keynote, there will be breakout sessions with topics driven by participants and the presentation of the Connect to Nature Site and OUTstanding Teacher Awards.
Presented by Five Rivers MetroParks, the OUTstanding Teacher Awards honor three educators who connect children to the outdoors by incorporating the natural world into their curriculum. The Miami Valley Leave No Child Inside Collaborative also will recognize different schools, parks and other locations with Connect to Nature Site Awards. These facilities are taking steps to help children use their Ohio Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights.
Following the summit, workshops will be offered starting at 12:30 p.m. Participants can select one of three topics, each of which offer early education professionals Ohio Approved Credit. Separate registration is required and can be accessed at metroparks.org/programs-events-finder.
- Green Schoolyard Teacher Training: Outdoor areas are excellent learning spaces for schools. Explore design and networking skills needed to create a Green Schoolyard. Resources from Five Rivers MetroParks, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the community will be offered.
- Growing up WILD Workshop: Take the nationally recognized Growing Up WILD curricula and provide children with an early foundation and a sense of wonder about nature, all while encouraging them to explore the outdoors. Participants will receive ODNR materials, including the Growing Up WILD book.
- Sticks and Stones: Children are often drawn to sticks, rocks, shooting activities and big body play. This training led by Meredith Florkey will engage participants in discovering the developmental nature and value of these behaviors.
“Many of us have spent months and months connecting over screens,” said MVLNCI board member Meredith Florkey. “This year, MVLNCI wants to spend most of our summit in intentional listening and critical thinking practice with our partners and stakeholders. We hope this innovative model will increase connectivity between leaders in the field and also help guide our work to create meaningful experiences for those in our region focused on getting children playing, learning and thriving outside.”
Learn more about the Miami Valley Leave No Child Inside Collaborative, the summit and more by visiting bit.ly/MVLNCI.
