News & Events of Interest

Institute Overview

Why are we offering an Outdoor Learning Environments (OLE) Institute?
Recent research indicates that children are becoming more disconnected from nature as they spend little time outdoors and increasingly long hours in childcare. There is growing evidence that time spent outdoors, particularly in more natural environments, has positive impacts on a child's physical and mental health and development. Did you know that children who spend more time outside tend to:

• Experience less stress than other children their age?
• Be more physically active and therefore have lower levels of obesity?
• Have fewer symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
• Score higher on standardized tests?

We are interested in supporting children's healthy development and know that experience in the out-of-doors nurtures children's creativity, imagination and sense of wonder. This Institute is our effort to launch an OLE initiative in the western region and we hope that you will be a part of this exciting and critical work!

Institute Audience
We are planning for a total of 125 participants who work in the field of early childhood education and care from Buncombe County and the multiple counties and Qualla Boundary in Region A. Please read the section in the application regarding team applications carefully as we will be giving priority to teams. We want to reach individuals in the field in a range of roles who are in a position to influence the quality of childcare with respect to OLEs. To that end, we ask you to consider who you might add to your team such as an instructor of higher education, a child care technical assistance provider, and/or a parent of a child in your program.

Institute Format and Schedule
The Institute is designed to provide participants with an intensive experience highlighting hands-on activities in the out of doors. In addition, all participants will be asked to attend a site design session where they will receive low cost design suggestions tailored to their OLE to improve upon their environment. You will also have the benefit of participating in a presentation and question/answer session led by a group of licensors, TA providers, raters and inspectors who will dispel myths and provide clear information about how to meet regulations and spend time in the outdoors with children.

• The Institute will focus on three content areas:
• Developmentally appropriate activities for the outdoor learning environment (OLE). Please note that all of these sessions will take place outdoors using a hands-on, inquiry-based learning approach;
• Design concepts and site design planning for improving existing OLEs; and
• Licensing issues related to OLEs

While we have most our presenters confirmed, we do not have all of the session titles. Below is the latest draft of the schedule, which will give you a sense of the time frame and offerings. We will update the institute schedule on this website as soon as we have this information so please check back.

Draft Institute Schedule

See Friday and Saturday schedules below.

Institute Goals

• Promote outdoor learning activities in all domains.
• Increase the time teachers and children spend outdoors.
• Enhance teachers' skills in teaching outdoors.
• Increase active time outdoors
• Introduce/increase natural elements in the OLE through innovative outdoor design.
• Advocate environmental learning – provide opportunities for children to embrace opportunities to become good stewards of the land through inquiry-based learning.

Institute Location
The Institute will be held at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. Click here to learn more about the Arboretum. As an event sponsor, the Arboretum is generously allowing us the use of their indoor and outdoor facilities. The outdoor activity sessions will take place throughout the grounds of the Arboretum, a beautiful outdoor 434-acre public garden located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest. The Arboretum is a public institution -- integrating education, landscape, and research -- that elevates the aesthetic, cultural, and economic quality of life in North Carolina.

Application Process
Applications are due by June 16, 2008 and may be submitted electronically or as a hard copy. To submit electronically, save the application (which until you save is only a temp file), rename it, complete the form, save again and send as an email attachment to Laura Ellenburg, OLE Institute Coordinator at conferenceplanning@msn.com. If mailing, send to Smart Start, 84 Coxe Avenue Suite 1-A, Asheville, NC 28801, or fax to the Smart Start office, Attn: Laura Ellenburg, 828.285.9933. For the Application click here.

Notification of acceptance will be sent August 1, 2008 along with a registration form. The Institute registration fee is $55 and includes lunch on Thursday and Friday. Please note that we will conduct a post-Institute evaluation. Institute attendees will be expected to participate in the evaluation which may include a phone survey and/or site visit to observe how you use your outdoor learning environment.

Event Sponsors
This event is a collaborative venture of Smart Start of Buncombe County, Region A Partnership for Children and The NC Arboretum.

Additional event sponsors include:
The Fanny Landward Foundation
Community Action Opportunities (CAO)
The Futch Family Foundation

Supporting school readiness programs for young children and their families.
84 Coxe Avenue, Suite 1A, Asheville, NC 28801 ~ phone: 828.285.9333 ~ fax: 828-285-9933
www.smartstart-buncombe.org

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