Nature-Based Learning for Young Children

Julie Powers, MA, grew up in the Sonoran Desert and lives in Maui, Hawaii, during the school year and outside Telluride, Colorado, in the summers and loves each ecosystem. She has an MA from Pacific Oaks College, a BA in child development from the University of Arizona, and an AA in early childhood education from Pima Community College. Julie is an associate professor of early childhood education at University of Hawaii Maui College. She was the founding director of both Dodge Nature Preschool in West St. Paul, Minnesota, and Valley View Preschool, an inclusion-based public preschool in Tucson, Arizona. She has taught, developed curriculum, and directed in a wide range of preschool programs, including public schools, non-profits, for-profits, Head Start, and a campus lab school. She has consulted for programs ranging from the Air Force Child Development Centers to the Phoenix Zoo. She is the author of Parent Engagement in Early Learning.

Sheila Williams Ridge, MA, has a BA in biology from University of Minnesota and an MA in education from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the director of the Shirley G. Moore Lab School at the University of MN and an instructor for the Institute of Child Development. She is also an adjunct professor for Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. Sheila serves on the governing boards for the Natural Start Alliance, the Minneapolis Nature Preschool, and the Friends School of Minnesota.