If you are starting a new forest or nature-based program (including outdoor preschool, childcare and homeschool classes), this intensive online course can help you get started! We address a range of topics including:

• Honing your vision, mission, and educational philosophy
• Establishing program basics like daily rhythm, class sizes, schedules
• Business planning/determining a business structure
• Locations and partners 
• Licensing considerations
• How to set tuition, compensate staff, and create a program budget
• Policies and practices for your parent handbook
• Creating greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in your program
• Safety and risk management, including liability insurance needs
• Finding and hiring great staff
• Marketing your program
• Evaluation methods

The format of this interactive course is a combination of facilitated discussion, small group work among participants, and asynchronous independent learning experiences. We provide many templates and resources to help you develop an authentic, placed-based approach to your program. Please note this is not a prerecorded, on-demand course. It is interactive so we can learn together! 

Upon registration, we will provide you with a complete list of materials needed for the course. Are you ready to take the leap?

SCHEDULE

We’ve designed this online course with a paced structure to help you absorb the material and build your program step by step over six months. The course includes six facilitated online sessions, each held from 1:30–3 p.m. (EST).

Between sessions, you’ll complete self-directed reading and planning activities, which require a minimum of one hour between class meetings. To get the most out of the course, please ensure you can dedicate time to reviewing materials and reflecting on how to apply new policies and concepts to your unique circumstances.

Upon successful completion, you will receive a professional development certificate.

*NEW SELF-PACED OPTION!

Most folks have many nuanced questions when they start a new program, so we always suggest joining the live online course if possible to ask your questions and learn from the experiences of others (schedule above). But...we also know you may be juggling many responsibilities and need the flexibility of a self-paced, on-demand course. For the first time ever, we have decided to offer a new self-paced option! This means we will hold regular class sessions (schedule above) and then follow up with bite-sized video recordings and resources for all of the self-paced learners. You will still experience the content and topics that are covered in the live sessions, but you can do so at your pace.

Additionally, we will include one 30-minute consultation session for each self-paced attendee. This will be scheduled to take place at the conclusion of the course in October and November and is completely optional.

Because this is the first time we are offering a self-paced option, we hope you will provide feedback in real time throughout the course!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This course is ideal for anyone establishing a nature-based program, which could be in the form of outdoor preschool, forest school, childcare, home school, or afterschool model. Whether your program is in a rural or urban setting, we offer essential information so you can get right to it! Feel free to reach out to Monica with questions.

MEET YOUR COURSE FACILITATOR!

Monica Wiedel-Lubinski, Executive Director of ANBE

Founder/cofounder of three nature preschool programs in Maryland and consultant to countless others starting forest and nature schools in the U.S. and abroad, Monica brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to help you jump-start your own nature-based program! She is the coauthor of award-winning Nature Play Workshop for Families (Quarto, 2020) and recently released Nature-Based Early Childhood Education (NAEYC, 2025). Monica earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art Educ. (K-12) and Master’s degree in Early Childhood Ed. from Towson University, Baltimore, MD and completed year-long graduate fellowship with UMBC/UMASS in 2024. Monica is deeply engaged in the Outdoor Preschool Licensing pilot, enacted in 2023 in Maryland as she advocates for more equitable access to nature-based education. She is a wife and mother of two and enjoys spending time in nature with her family.