Founded in October 2013, NINPA is a professional collaborative that promotes, supports and enhances nature-based early childhood education for all.
If you are interested in becoming a NINPA member, please fill out the following form. Active members receive priority access to professional development and training.
NINPA encourages:
- Nurturing social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development of children through quality experiences with nature.
- Creating a welcoming, safe and supportive environment by acting with and teaching empathy, respect, and fairness for the natural world and all of its people while also exploring and intentionally discussing differences.
- Fostering children’s kinship, respect of, and appreciation for the diversity of the natural world and all inhabitants.
- Cultivating children’s love of learning and sense of wonder in an outdoor environment.
- Fostering curiosity, and encourage discovery in the natural world, through hands-on activities, investigation, experimentation and play outdoors.
- Stimulating divergent thinking, reflection and curiosity about the natural world, by asking open-ended questions, wondering aloud with children, and listening to children’s questions and ideas about nature.
- Expanding children’s social skills through collaboration, outdoor play and exploration.
- Strengthening children’s self-confidence by encouraging appropriate risk taking in an outdoor environment.
- Enriching children’s insights and ideas by providing a variety of nature-rich resources that contribute to their understanding of the world around them.
Northern Illinois Nature Preschool Association 