105: Equitable Access to Nature: Breaking Barriers with Mandy Slavik from the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Mandy and I discuss the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network's Forest Days Program in this episode. From there, we talk about how important it is for everyone to have equal access to nature, how to start a nature program in the city, and how to connect nature to curriculum! Pour yourself a cup of tea and listen. I promise you, this conversation will motivate you to become a part of the movement and discover how you can contribute to breaking down boundaries to children's access to nature.

Meet Mandy:

Mandy is a mother, yoga teacher, hobby naturalist, outdoors-woman, gardener, and passionate early childhood educator. A spiritual connection to mother earth and becoming a mother brought her to the world of nature-based education.

Mandy has an associate degree in Early Childhood Education and is currently working towards a degree in Social Work. She is passionate about social-emotional learning, mindfulness, empathy, self-expression, movement, creativity, nature, and community building. She weaves her background in dance, yoga, and mindfulness into her teaching. She has an innate curiosity and a love of learning, constantly bringing in new threads of wisdom to weave into her philosophical tapestry.

Mandy has had a variety of roles at BOPN, including Lead Teacher, Forest Day Leader, and Curriculum Coach. In her role as Curriculum Coach, Mandy mentors teachers in developing and implementing their emergent curriculums in a way that balances child-led, play based learning, and intentionally curated experiences and lessons that foster deeper learning. With a focus on social-emotional development and nature connections, she aims to build a strong foundation for learning in all domains. Through supporting each teacher her work strengthens BOPN as a whole.

In her spare time Mandy enjoys dancing, photography, and exploring natural spaces.

CONNECT WITH MANDY:

• https://www.bopn.org/meettheteam/mandy-slavik
• www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-slavik-179ab3296
• The Attunement Project

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:

• EMAIL

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM RESOURCES:

• The Outdoor Classrooms CIRCLE Membership
• The Outdoor Teaching Bootcamp
• Seeds of Inspiration for Outdoor Learning Card Deck
• FREE PDF Library of Nature-Based Children's Books & Weekly Seedling News