Name
Nature-Based Learning: No Forest Required (In-Person)
Date
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Time
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM (EDT)
Description
Inspired by forest schools but limited in your access to natural spaces? This session is for you. Educators from the National Zoo and DCPS teachers who participated in the 'Nature Play in Your School' professional development workshop share real-life lessons from applying nature-based learning in their classrooms. Together, we will explore what nature-based learning looks like in practice, how it can meet curricular needs, how it supports STEAM integration, and what teachers learned from implementing these practices in their own schools. Leave with concrete strategies for bringing nature-based learning into any classroom, regardless of your access to outdoor spaces.
Speakers
Silvana Oderisi, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Ashley Wallen, District of Columbia Public Schools
Ashley Wallen, District of Columbia Public Schools
Session Type
60-minute in-person, hands-on workshop (Wed., July 15 only)
Session Track
Designing STEAM Solutions for Civic Challenges
Grades
PK-2
Subject Areas
English/Language Arts, Math, Science
Audience
PreK and Elementary School Teachers
Location Name
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (401-A)