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Outdoor Education Classroom While she is on sabbatical this term, Kathy Dawson '94, assistant professor of Christian education, is studying early childhood education programs that are connected to churches. In Westlake, CA, she visited the Westminster Presbyterian Church Preschool, which has a new outdoor education classroom inspired by Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.
The outdoor learning space includes an extensive sand area with sand toys and real pots and pans, a playhouse, nature sorting area, and rolling hill. Soon there will be a rock creek for water play. Musical instruments played on the outdoor stage are “waterproof,” and a marimba is on the way. The program director’s slogan is, “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing.” The goal is for the children to choose freely whether they are outside or inside with perhaps equal time spent in each area.
For more information, go to Preschool.
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