
MISSION STATEMENT AND PHILOSOPHY
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to support the people working in and families accessing services across the childcare landscape on Vancouver Island. The Natural Pedagogy Society aims as well to promote a lasting connection between children and the planet’s eco-systems that begins in early childhood.
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Philosophy
In the Natural Pedagogy Society, the natural world is considered a strong member of our teaching team. The outdoor classroom provides equal opportunity for the kind of learning experiences that level the playing field between neuro-diverse and neuro-typical individuals. Traditional indoor settings are challenged by the lack of space, natural light and an environment that does not change naturally. Teachers must put effort into creating cyclical change and novelty to promote interest in their classroom. Outdoors, The weather, seasons, plants and animals are always changing. Exposure to challenges in new environments will happen naturally and with regularity. For these reasons, we feel that there is a need for outdoor based programming that is not being met in established educational and childcare environments.
As well as aiming to promote the use of outdoor settings in education, we aim to provide support for the people who work in and access these services. We fund our programs in part with the creation of Early Childhood Educator professional development. We believe it is essential that ECE’s in British Columbia have access to quality professional development resources that are affordable. Offering Pro-D in many formats, to reach as many folks as possible, is central to our work. We use a mix of self led and group based resources to empower Educators to choose which method is best for their time and budget.