CHINA
Huathe is delighted to be working companies including Hooson and Juniper Education to bring Forest School and nature education to China. Our courses bring together the best of the Scandinavian Forest School approach and nature connection principles in bespoke courses and routes that meet the needs of Chinese teachers and parents. At our heart, is the knowledge that children and young people benefit from time in nature and from autonomy in their learning.
Two of our students are now running Forest School in Beijing. See what Pan Jieli has to say about her experiences. You can see one of their children finally managing the steep slope rope climb here!
We are currently developing a set of courses for a post Covid world delivered as a mix of online and face to face content. One direction supports kindergartens to take the learning outside and the other is aimed at outdoor educators and is more Forest School.
Stage 1 of both of these is online. Stages 2 and 3 are a mix of online and face to face.
Outdoor Practitioner: Stages 1, 2 and 3
This is course has been written especially for kindergarten and primary teachers in consultation with Xu Zhidong, an early years specialist with whom we are working in Beijing, Qingdao and (soon) Hainan. It is ideal for anyone interested in taking learning outdoors and finding out more about how and why learning outdoors is so beneficial.
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Stage 1 is delivered online. Stages 2 and 3 are a mix of online content and face to face in Beijing, Qingdao and Hainan in 2021.
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The training includes:
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Simple, but sound theory that underpins outdoor learning and Forest School
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Practical ideas and activities
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Ways to adapt urban playground for maximum nature benefit
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The differences between child-led and adult led approaches
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Planning for the different areas and for the curriculum
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Topic planning outdoors
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How to manage ‘in the moment’ planning
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An introduction to risky play
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Developing children’s creativity through outdoor play
All our training is a mixture of theory and practical activity and tailored to urban and more rural settings. Certificated through huathe and Juniper Education.
Post Covid newsflash!
Nature-based Learning Stages 1, 2 and 3
This course is tailored towards learning outdoors in nature. It is ideal for teachers and outdoor educators. The focus of this course is children’s nature connection. It has strong links to the Forest School ethos, but is tailored to the needs of our Chinese colleagues. Once again the initial training is online, with face to face content at Stages 2 and 3.
The training includes:
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An introduction to nature: essential for anyone who has grown up in the city!
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Teacher-based approach to learning in nature
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Inner nature/Outer nature – building values and dispositions through nature
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An introduction to tool-based learning
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An introduction to risky play and essential risk taking (including how to manage that risk
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Building knowledge through curiosity
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Nature-based theory and an introduction to the benefits of being outdoors
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An introduction to ‘Nature on your doorstep’.
Forest School Leadership Training
We are experienced in training Forest School leaders in China. See our page on Forest School training for details of courses.
USA
Following a hot and joyful Forest School leadership course on Long Island in 2019, we have established some beautiful new connections in the United States. Our Nature Connection weekends on the East Coast have had to be postponed due to Covid. We hope to be back training in the States in 2021