For Educators - 2.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments 

Registration Fee: $100 for North Carolina residents & $450 for non-North Carolina residents.

Course Dates: Feb. 24th - May 15th

North Carolina EE Certification Program Participants - note that online courses can be used for up to 10 hours of Criteria III for enrollees or for up to 10 hours of continuing education credit for those already certified.

Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments is targeted towards early childhood professionals and others interested in improving early childhood outdoor play and learning environments. Learners will gain skills and knowledge required to plan, manage, promote, organize, and administer high quality outdoor play and learning environments. The course will also introduce the participatory design process used by the Natural Learning Initiative in childcare settings. Although the primary audience of this program is early childhood professionals, educators working in other settings may be interested as well as technical assistants, extension agents, landscape design professionals, cooperative extension agents, and volunteers working in childcare settings. The overall course objective is to help participants understand how landscape design can support active lifestyles, promote mental health and wellbeing, encourage healthy eating, and motivate learning in, about, and through nature. Students in this course are NOT expected to have prior experience drafting plans.