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Nature-Based Partnerships

Nature-Based Partnerships

GSRP Nature-Based Partnerships Guidance

This guidance document is designed to support Intermediate School Districts (ISDs), Early Childhood Specialists (ECS), Early Childhood Consultants (ECCs), and GSRP providers as they work collaboratively to implement nature-based programming within the existing GSRP framework. Resources are provided at the end of the document.

Introduction to Nature-based Programs

Nature-based education is an early childhood approach that has nature as a central component of the program.  All aspects of the programming including the philosophy, mission, classroom and outdoor design, and methodology are focused on the dual goals of whole child development and conservation. Nature-based programming combines best practices in early childhood education as well as best practices in environmental education as outlined by the North American Association for Environmental Education. Staff training includes expertise in both early childhood and environmental education.

A. Learning and Development

Nature-based early childhood education emphasizes place-based, emergent curricula tied to children’s natural surroundings. Themes, or studies, are developed based on children’s observations and questions in local environments instead of pre-designed themes. As teaching and support staff members develop studies, they ensure children have opportunities to learn both developmental skills and accurate information about the topics related to the study including vocabulary, facts, and principles about nature and life.
Curriculum implementation in nature-based programs isn’t about changing content to be outdoors-themed—it’s about developing curriculum content by following children’s interests and inquiries, often sparked by their experiences in the natural world. The curriculum framework then serves as an organizing tool—ensuring that learning remains intentional, standards-aligned, and goal-driven. 

Nature-based programs:

  • Maintain a child-centered, emergent, play-based approach that focuses on learning about local place-based natural phenomena throughout the seasons.
  • Use intentional teaching strategies that foster language, literacy, math, social-emotional development, and all key developmental objectives through learning within and about the local natural environment.

Provide opportunities for active learning through daily exploration, discovery, and interaction with natural environments and outdoor play spaces.

B. Risky Play and Safety Guidelines

Nature-based programs encourage healthy risk-taking or “risky play”, which is essential for building confidence, problem-solving skills, and physical development. Risky play is fun, exciting play that could potentially involve physical injury. Nature-based programs work to ensure that risk-taking activities are managed in a way that prioritizes safety, while supporting children to develop self-assessment skills to understand which risks they can safely manage. Providing children with opportunities to take calculated risks supports motor skill development, resilience, and decision-making abilities—all while keeping them safe and supported through well-informed staff and structured risk assessments.
It is vital that all staff receive training on Risky Play and are actively implementing Risk-Benefit Assessments into their designed programming. These assessments help educators evaluate potential risks and hazards alongside developmental benefits, ensuring that activities challenge children appropriately while maintaining a safe environment.

Collaborative Approach

When working with any new program, especially a program implementing a curriculum or approach that the ECS is unfamiliar with, it is important to begin the partnership with a growth mindset. An approach based on curiosity with the goal of partnership will help to prevent defensiveness and model that approach for the program learning how to implement GSRP.  
The role of the assigned Early Childhood Specialist (ECS) will be key to the success of the partnership. Traditionally, GSRP ECS have had training and in-depth knowledge of the curriculum that assigned classrooms were using. With continued expansion, more ECS may find they are assigned to classrooms using a curriculum or approach new to the ECS. In this case, it is helpful to reflect on the underlying purpose of the ECS role in GSRP.  

From the ECS section of the Implementation Manual: 

The ECS “is the educational leader and catalyst for continuous quality improvement for each Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) classroom. Through observation and feedback, the ECS supports teaching teams and site administrators to provide high-quality PreK with fidelity to the GSRP model. The ECS confidently advocates for children, families and teachers to ensure appropriate decisions are made about the program.” From this, we see that while programs are expected to maintain fidelity to their curriculum, and the ECS may be a key support towards that goal, the curriculum is not necessarily the main driver of this work. Instead of relying on the curriculum requirements when observing the classroom and setting goals, the ECS supporting a nature-based program may consider beginning with the Key Elements of High Quality Early Childhood Learning Environments: Preschool, a companion document to the Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Birth to Kindergarten. 
 
It is vital that an ECS assigned to a nature-based program becomes a partner willing to collaboratively align coaching goals and strategies. The ECS brings expertise in early childhood education and GSRP while the program team brings depth in nature-based pedagogy. Shared understanding should be developed before an ECS makes recommendations that may not align with the program’s philosophy.

Areas for Consideration 

The ISD and nature-based program will need to work together to identify where the program’s practices align with and deviate from the GSRP requirements. It is likely that discussing underlying values of supporting and respecting children and families through high quality programming will provide a basis from which to approach some of the following program aspects that may need attention. ISDs are required to ensure that all GSRP requirements are met and yet, are encouraged to consider the underlying purpose of the requirements and be flexible in how they may be accomplished. If an ISD and a nature-based program are unable to come to an agreement on an aspect of GSRP, the ISD should reach out to their assigned GSRP Consultant at MiLEAP. 

A. Curriculum

GSRP requires programs to use evidence-based, state-approved curricula that align with the Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Birth to Kindergarten (ECSQ-BK). State-approved curricula provide a structured framework for early childhood learning while allowing flexibility for different program models. Nature-based programs can successfully implement these curricula by adapting instructional strategies to align with outdoor, inquiry-driven learning.

 

In Evaluating Natureness the authors have developed multiple keys to evaluating a program on how closely it aligns with the highest quality standards for nature-based programs. The curriculum section includes focus on children’s outdoor skills and nature knowledge by following children’s interests in nature aligned with authentic, local, and current seasonal happenings.

To achieve those goals, rather than adapting or modifying the curriculum, nature-based programs thoughtfully align instructional strategies with the curriculum’s intent ensuring that learning remains developmentally appropriate, engaging, and rooted in the natural world. The ISD and program should work together to develop a shared understanding of the unique perspective of nature-based programs, the key factors of curriculum fidelity, and how the program can stay true to its philosophy while meeting GSRP requirements.

B. Child Assessment

GSRP requires each child to be assessed through the use of an approved ongoing, authentic child assessment tool. Because of the amount of time nature-based programs spend outdoors, some of the electronic tools for capturing child assessment data may not be compatible with the classroom’s daily routine. Teachers in a nature-based program may rely on alternate forms of documentation like the Floorbook approach (see Resources), photographs, class books, mind maps, and children’s quotes, writing, and reflections. Each program will need to develop a plan to ensure that child assessment data is collected and recorded for each child to meet the GSRP requirement. ISDs may need to examine where flexibilities within their own practices around child assessment are feasible.

C. Program Assessment – Classroom Observations

GSRP requires all classrooms to be evaluated on a cyclical basis with one of two approved observation tools: CLASS or Classroom Coach. These evaluations are completed by certified raters and serve multiple purposes including allowing programs to advance their rating within the Great Start Quality system and providing data for state-wide GSRP evaluation. An important benefit of the completion of an objective tool is to provide a framework for considering classroom practices and interactions. This provides a basis for dialogue among the ECS and classroom teaching teams. It is important for raters of nature-based program classrooms to understand that there may be multiple ways for a classroom to demonstrate certain criteria being measured by the observation tool.   Additionally, there may be certain aspects of the observation tool that are not as evident compared to other classrooms, but the rater should consider that the classroom may still be meeting the underlying purpose of the item. In depth dialogue around the tool, individual items, and how they align with the nature-based philosophy will help to dispel any stress and avoid conflicts around expectations. 

D. Professional Learning

For a nature-based GSRP program to be successful, educators must feel confident and supported in implementing outdoor, inquiry-driven learning while still meeting GSRP standards. Professional development should focus on both high-quality early childhood practices as well as the foundational elements of nature-based education, local environmental literacy, and practical strategies for integrating these into daily instruction.
Both the ISD and the nature-based program itself play key roles in providing professional development opportunities. For example, nature-based programs may host in-house trainings to introduce or deepen educators’ understanding of nature-based teaching or to explore new concepts, while new GSRP staff may complete mandated trainings such as curriculum and assessment training through their ISD. Additionally, the ECS may provide in-house training that adapts state-mandated professional development (such as Literacy Essentials and Pyramid Model practices) to align with the needs of a nature-based curriculum. This collaborative approach ensures that teachers receive both the required foundational training and the specialized support necessary to implement nature-based education effectively.
 

Resources:

Nature-Based Research Studies: