Growing Green Together: A Model for Nature-Based and Sustainability-Focused Early Childhood Education
Key initiatives include: |
Bombeck Family Learning Center & Hanley Sustainability Institute
The Growing Green Together initiative represents a collaborative vision between the Bombeck Family Learning Center and the Hanley Sustainability Institute at the University of Dayton to embed nature-based learning and sustainability into the heart of early childhood education. Through this partnership, we are creating meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that connect young children to the natural world, encourage sustainable behaviors, and engage families and communities in building a greener future. This multi-year initiative supports early learners—from birth to age five—by weaving sustainability and nature into everyday play, exploration, and curriculum design. Each element of the initiative is grounded in developmentally appropriate practices and reflects a deep commitment to shaping environmentally responsible citizens from the earliest years. |
Nature Museums: Inspiring Curiosity
Curated collections of natural objects designed for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers encourage open-ended exploration, spark wonder, and build environmental appreciation through hands-on nature engagement.
Hands-on Learning with Nature Kits
Nature Kits filled with natural materials and real scientific tools empower children to engage with the world around them through purposeful, sensory-based investigations.
Outdoor Play in All Seasons
Year-round outdoor experiences promote resilience, problem-solving, and a deeper sense of place, helping children develop a lasting connection with the natural environment.
Trash to Treasure: Art with a Purpose
Children and families explore sustainability through creative reuse—transforming repurposed materials into meaningful works of art, taking a waste-free pledge, and learning how everyday choices impact the planet.
Strength in Community Partnerships
Collaborations with local organizations bring valuable resources and expertise into the classroom, supporting both nature-based and sustainability-focused learning.
Shaping the Next Generation of Environmental Advocates
Children are not just participants in this work—they are empowered as change-makers. This initiative helps young learners build the foundation to become thoughtful, responsible caretakers of the Earth.
Building a Sustainable Early Childhood Curriculum
With support from HSI interns and educators, a new nature-based, sustainability-integrated curriculum is being developed and piloted with the goal of expanding to other early learning centers.
Together, these efforts demonstrate how partnerships can cultivate rich, interdisciplinary early childhood experiences that are rooted in nature, community, and sustainable living. Growing Green Together is more than a project—it’s a movement toward a more connected, compassionate, and environmentally responsible future, starting with our youngest learners.
Curated collections of natural objects designed for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers encourage open-ended exploration, spark wonder, and build environmental appreciation through hands-on nature engagement.
Hands-on Learning with Nature Kits
Nature Kits filled with natural materials and real scientific tools empower children to engage with the world around them through purposeful, sensory-based investigations.
Outdoor Play in All Seasons
Year-round outdoor experiences promote resilience, problem-solving, and a deeper sense of place, helping children develop a lasting connection with the natural environment.
Trash to Treasure: Art with a Purpose
Children and families explore sustainability through creative reuse—transforming repurposed materials into meaningful works of art, taking a waste-free pledge, and learning how everyday choices impact the planet.
Strength in Community Partnerships
Collaborations with local organizations bring valuable resources and expertise into the classroom, supporting both nature-based and sustainability-focused learning.
Shaping the Next Generation of Environmental Advocates
Children are not just participants in this work—they are empowered as change-makers. This initiative helps young learners build the foundation to become thoughtful, responsible caretakers of the Earth.
Building a Sustainable Early Childhood Curriculum
With support from HSI interns and educators, a new nature-based, sustainability-integrated curriculum is being developed and piloted with the goal of expanding to other early learning centers.
Together, these efforts demonstrate how partnerships can cultivate rich, interdisciplinary early childhood experiences that are rooted in nature, community, and sustainable living. Growing Green Together is more than a project—it’s a movement toward a more connected, compassionate, and environmentally responsible future, starting with our youngest learners.