Calendar of events
Upcoming Samara events, workshops, & speaking engagements
Interested in scheduling Dr. Rachel A. Larimore for an event? Learn more here.
Leading Change Toward Nature-based Teaching: A Focus on Preparing Ourselves as Leaders
Talk of social-emotional health of children is common in early childhood, but we rarely stop to consider how adult relationships, with ourselves and others, influence our professional roles in early childhood. In this session, Dr. Larimore will guide you to explore the many social-emotional factors that impact your ability to lead change toward a nature-based teaching approach.
Nature-Based Emergent Curriculum: The Power of Place for Planning (Webinar)
This edWebinar will first explore the fundamental principles of the nature-based approach. Then, Dr. Rachel Larimore will explore how we can live these principles in day-to-day teaching practices—especially if the goal is an emergent curriculum rooted in play and children’s interests. By focusing on the seasonal events that occur in our local place in the world, we can intentionally integrate nature into teaching practice—no matter our current situation.
Starting a New Nature-Based School: Plans, Partnerships, & Devilish Details
Dreaming of starting a school? Confident in early childhood education, but less confident about the business side of things? This webinar is for you!
Nature-Based Learning: Inspiring & Supporting Staff to Help Children Learn with Nature
This webinar, designed to support program leaders and administrators, will briefly share the core principles of a nature-based approach and a Trail Map for Leading Change toward that approach. With that common language established, Rachel will focus on the steps to support your team to make the shift to a nature-based approach—and keep them happy and inspired along the way.
Evaluating Natureness: How to use the Nature-Based Education Rating Scale to improve nature-based early childhood teaching (Session 3)
Part 3 of 3 in a webinar series on using the Nature-Based Education Rating Scale (NABERS). NABERS is a tool crafted specifically for early education practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to help them effortlessly gather standardized information, assessing education settings in crucial areas such as: program goals, curriculum practices, staffing, environment, community partnerships, and family engagement.
*The recordings for all 3 installments in this webinar series are available to Grove Members. Click here to join today!
Evaluating Natureness: How to use the Nature-Based Education Rating Scale to improve nature-based early childhood teaching (Session 2)
Part 2 of 3 in a webinar series on using the Nature-Based Education Rating Scales system (NABERS). NABERS is a tool crafted specifically for early education practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to help them effortlessly gather standardized information, assessing education settings in crucial areas such as: program goals, curriculum practices, staffing, environment, community partnerships, and family engagement.
*The recordings for all 3 installments in this webinar series are available to Grove Members. Click here to join today!
Non-Profit or For-Profit? Finding the Best Path for Your Program (A Natural Start Alliance webinar)
Join nature-based education consultants David Catlin and Samara’s founder Dr. Rachel Larimore to get answers to this and other questions about the pros and cons of each of these different pathways. Rachel and David have developed a new resource to help programs consider their options, and they'll provide an overview, and take your questions during this webinar.
Evaluating Natureness: How to use the Nature-Based Education Rating Scale to improve nature-based early childhood teaching (Session 1)
Part 2 of 3 in a webinar series on using the Nature-Based Education Rating Scales system (NABERS). NABERS is a tool crafted specifically for early education practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to help them effortlessly gather standardized information, assessing education settings in crucial areas such as: program goals, curriculum practices, staffing, environment, community partnerships, and family engagement.
*The recordings for all 3 installments in this webinar series are available to Grove Members. Click here to join today!
Why do we do THAT?!: Making Intentional Decisions in the Nature-based Early Childhood Classroom
*The recording of this webinar is available to Grove Members. Click here to join today!
Measuring the Quality of Nature-based Classrooms Using the NABERS Tool
This FREE edWebinar will explore the Nature-Based Education Rating Scale (NABERS) tool. NABERS was developed to help identify the quality and level of “natureness” for those PreK and K-3 programs adding nature to their curricula. This edWebinar will first identify the core principles of Nature-based Early Childhood Education (NbECE) and then discuss tangible measures of quality. Attendees will leave the session able to identify nature-based practices in the program structure, staffing, physical environment, community partnerships, and family engagement.
Essential Elements of Leading a Nature-based Early Childhood Program
Rachel Larimore, Samara Early Learning’s Chief Visionary, will be presenting a free webinar hosted by Early Childhood Investigations Webinars and sponsored by Samara Early Learning (that’s us!).
Here is the webinar description:
It’s finally happening: Early education program leaders around the world are becoming more enthusiastic and enlightened about the benefits of nature-based programs. Many programs are beginning to jump in wholeheartedly but find shifting the culture of their organizations as well as the practice of individual teachers is incredibly challenging. After all, we’re leading humans! Some of the challenges that result are very individual responses to be outdoors—not enjoying the cold, preferring not to be dirty, etc. Additionally, there can be administrative challenges related to policies, procedures, funding, and licensing. There are also pedagogical leadership challenges in supporting teachers to intentionally integrate nature into the daily structure, physical environment, and teacher-led activities. Join experienced early childhood nature-based program leader and author, Rachel Larimore to learn to address these various challenges.
This webinar, designed to support program leaders and administrators, will share the core principles and benefits of a nature-based approach. With that common language as a starting point, Rachel will address the foundational administrative and pedagogical practices to successfully shift your team to a nature-based approach. Most importantly, Rachel will address an often-overlooked element of leading change—the human element, including how to best support staff and families in your evolving infusion of nature.
Though the webinar is free, registration is required. Register today!