Currently, there are more than 40 outdoor preschools
operating in the state. Because these preschools are part-day programs, they
are not subject to child care licensing regulations, but many of these programs
seek to create full-day programs. DEL’s outdoor preschool pilot was established
by the Washington State Legislature in spring of 2017 to investigate how
outdoor preschools currently operate and how to adapt licensing rules to allow
for the operation of full-day outdoor programs.
“For me the motivation is really about ensuring the health
and safety of children and helping to promote the model as a whole and gain
credibility for the field,” said Kit Harrington, pilot participant and director
of the Fiddleheads Forest School at the University of Washington in Seattle. “I
hope that it provides the opportunity for more families to access outdoor
preschool programming.”
The pilot project began in July 2017 with the recruitment of
16 programs to be pilot participants who will advise DEL on the creation of
licensing rules especially for outdoor programs. Participants will test out
full-day services and aid in the ongoing collection and analysis of data. In
the fourth year of the pilot, beginning July 2020, DEL will conduct its final
data collection and analysis and submit pilot recommendations to the
legislature.
The participants met for their first in-person meeting of
2018 on March 12. At the meeting, pilot participants learned the basic
procedures for becoming licensed, including signing up for MERIT, Washington’s
professional development registry, and beginning the portable background check
process for the programs’ staff members. DEL staff and pilot participants also
discussed some of the licensing challenges associated with outdoor preschools,
including appropriate staff-to-child ratios and the assessment and use of
outdoor spaces.
The pilot participants represent an array of outdoor-based
learning environments. Some participants have indoor classrooms but emphasize
outdoor time. Others are fully immersed in forests or other outdoor
environments without any indoor space. Regardless of the environment, though,
outdoor preschools feel they offer unique experiences to early learners.
“We let what’s going on around us shape our curriculum.
That’s what nature-based means to us,” said pilot participant Caroline Cook,
the early childhood education coordinator at the Mercer Slough Environmental
Education Center in Bellevue. “One of the most important
things I hope kids get out of their time here is a strong connection to and
love for nature that will stay with them throughout their lives.”
The outdoor environment allows children to engage in
learning in hands-on ways, many participants agree.
“They get to have learning in context, so they’re learning
not only what dirt feels like but also what it feels like when it’s wet or
slippery,” said Sarah Salazar-Tipton, a pilot participant from Olympic Nature
Experience in Sequim. “There are so many layers of learning.”
For some pilot participants, the benefits of participation
extend beyond informing the creation of licensing standards.
“Our greatest goal is just to increase that network of
support for nature preschools everywhere and to make sure nature preschool is
something all children can access,” Harrington said. “Everyone deserves the
opportunity to live and learn in an outdoor classroom.”
The pilot participants will continue to meet regularly with
DEL staff in-person and over the phone throughout the four years of the
project.
“I hope that everybody who is participating is excited with
the outcome and that we feel like we’ve created opportunities for schools and
programs to get involved,” Salazar-Tipton said. “It’s been great working with
the Department of Early Learning. They’ve been very responsive and
collaborative.”
For more information about the outdoor preschool pilot
project or to read the 2018 legislative report on the pilot, visit http://del.wa.gov/Outdoor-Preschool.
