Exciting News…

Handke Family Center and ECFE have been awarded a grant from Dimensions Educational Research Foundation to develop a
   Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom Demonstration Site!!!!

Through this grant we will:
1.    Design and develop an outdoor classroom space
2.    Participate in nature education professional development training
3.    Develop activities and materials to engage and involve parents and young children in nature activities.

We’ll need lots of help to make this new learning opportunity a reality.  Watch for information on how you might join in.


Did you know?
Research shows that when children have regular contact with nature they learn and grow better…physically, developmentally and in relationship to the natural world.

An activity to try... Take an I Spy walk with your kids!!!!!
“In this fast-paced society, we often rush children from place to place so quickly that they stop paying attention to the details of the world around them. The next time you take a walk with children, encourage everyone to see how many natural wonders they can find. Examine the spider’s web on a downspout or talk about how the dandelion can poke its way through a crack in the sidewalk. Even in cities, nature often finds a way to make its presence known and to survive, a good life lesson for us all.” From Teaching and Learning about the Natural World by Nancy Rosenow in Young Children, January 2008.