Aside from creating learning experiences for children, our Director, Vangie, also offers consulting and training for other nature school and outdoor play / educational organizations. It is an honor and privilege for us to participate by sharing our experience and training with your organization.
Vangie has 15 years of organizational leadership, extensive experience running overnight camps, writing children’s curriculum, planning and running children’s activities and events, and teaching children. She has classical training in early childhood education, child-growth and development, extensive experience as a classroom paraprofessional, substitute teacher and teacher, parent-liaison in the IEP process, and is a recognized expert on special-needs modification for children’s curriculum.
She also has extensive experience in social-media marketing which she gained as the Executive Director of PURE Ministries, a network devoted to special-needs inclusion, primarily in churches. She has assisted in the development and marketing of a very successful religious preschool and home-school co-op run which started in 2005 and is still operating today.
She has a Bachelor’s degree from Point University and a Master of Arts from Lincoln Christian University. Vangie has 65+ hours of nature education training and certification through the Forest School Teaching Institute, and serves there as an adjunct instructor.
Costs
- On-site Trainings and Consultations, $40/hour. For group training sessions, this includes a discussion prior to the training about the specific goals and needs for your organization. Format and style of training will be developed to meet your specific needs.
- Distance Trainings and Consultations, $20/hour. In Distance Trainings, this also includes a discussion prior to the training about specific points of interest for your organization. Meetings will be conducted via Zoom.
Getting What YOUR Organization Needs
The nature of consultations and training vary with the needs of every organization. In some cases, this can be an in-depth process where we assist in creating guiding principles and documents for a new program. In other cases, a quick refresher at an annual training session can mean a very targeted topic with Skills Check or Action Items for an organization to act on.
Common Topics for Training & Consultation
SITE EVALUATION & DEVELOPMENT
Looking to develop a particular site for your nature education program. We can visit your site and help you evaluate both the strengths and weaknesses of your proposed area.
EMBRACING EMERGENT CURRICULUM
Enthusiastic about allowing your learners to set the pace, but wondering just how it will work? Let’s talk about the common misconceptions about child-led learning and best practices for unleashing the creativity in your students.
USING THEIR ENERGY
Wondering how to channel a group’s energies in positive directions? Learn to read the emotional energy of your group and some tricks of the trade for focusing your group’s energy.
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Starting a new program but overwhelmed with the myriad of processes involved in getting it off the ground? Let us break it down into Action Steps for you that will but the process into bite size pieces.
MARKETING & PROMOTION
Learn about traditional marketing techniques for publicizing your program, as well as techniques based in relationship building that will make your organization a touchstone of your community.
Sparrow's Nest Play, INC. 