We found that if we spread these 4-6 hour chunks out over a few days (shooting for roughly 20 hours a week) it would take us to averaging about 1,000 hours of outside activity a year. That seems insane, maybe - we get it. But did you know the average American child spends 1,200 hours a year in front of screens? Read on in the BLOG.

ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

Visit Sarah Baldwin's site to check out all of the open ended ways children can play at any age. She has links to age appropriate toys and a great blog!

Making project-based learning (PBL) a reality takes time—a teacher’s most precious commodity. 

Blue Apple provides packaged projects that help with the learning process for teachers new to PBL by following a 5-step process to cohesive, integrated, engaging learning experiences. 

Many in our community are struggling with primary needs. Our neighbors have told us that they need the basics - laundry, showers, clothing, meals, emergency shelter, computer access, literacy, and academic support. 

At Brightly, we believe reading has the power to illuminate the lives of children. But, we also know how hard it can be to connect kids with the right books at the right time and keep them engaged with reading as they grow. We can help make this easier.

Caring for Kids immediately provides essential resources to meet the urgent needs of abused, neglected or at-risk children in St. Louis County...because kids' urgent needs can't wait!

Helping educators identify and respond effectively to children with signs of a mental health or learning disorder by offering actionable strategies that have been shown to help kids behave successfully — making the learning environment better for everyone. 

C&NN work to create a global movement to increase equitable access to nature so that children– and natural places–can thrive.​

They invest in leadership and communities through sharing evidence-based resources, scaling innovative solutions and driving policy change.

TEACHER NERDS, UNITE.

If you’ve ever been told you’re way too into your job… If you can’t stop talking about teaching (even during happy hour)
If you buy teaching books with your own money and wake up in the middle of the night with lesson ideas…
Welcome home, friend. This place was built for you.

Supporting strategic development and the capacity of educators in the field of Nature Pedagogy. 

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Mindstretchers is an online professional development helping educators transfer theory into practice.

From birth to 5 years, your child should reach milestones in how he plays, learns, speaks, acts and moves. Track your child’s development and act early if you have a concern.

With more and more of life happening online, what catches kids' attention isn't always what's best for them, and what companies do with their personal information isn't always clear. Common Sense Media helps families navigate developmentally appropriate uses of tech. 

I enjoy the CL events because they are usually FREE and I get to connect with people equally passionate about addressing and finding solutions to problems we face in education and society.

This community is dedicated to making change. 

We work to ensure that every child can live in a safe, loving home in which they can thrive and reach their full potential. Every day, we strive to make our world a better place for our children so that they have the best possible start to life. Through our efforts to prevent instances of child abuse or neglect before they happen, we boost the positive impact we have on children’s lives and on our communities exponentially.

Earth Force believes that a civic experience is an essential element of education about the environment. To ensure that young people have this experience Earth Force helps teachers develop young people with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to solve tough environmental problems

Our Foundation is dedicated to transforming K-12 education so that all students can acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to thrive in their studies, careers, and adult lives. 

The EdHub hosts education programs and events to facilitate the convening + connection that lead to the collaborative work of dismantling education inequity.

The Experiential Education Exchange community supports excellent practice in experiential education and catalyzes growth and innovation.

Free Forest School ignites children’s innate capacity to learn through unstructured play in nature, fostering healthy development and nurturing the next generation of creative thinkers, collaborative leaders and environmental stewards.

Gardening with youth, particularly in a school garden, comes with its own set of rewards and challenges. Gateway Greening hosts an ongoing educator-focused workshop series with topics ranging from summer maintenance strategies to citizen-science garden topics. 

Headstrong Nation is a movement dedicated to a radical new approach to dyslexia. We empower dyslexics to own their dyslexia, to understand it, and to develop new ways of learning and working based on their individual profiles.

JYD serves applied researchers and evaluators as well as practitioners who work in youth-serving organizations or the intermediaries that support them.

As a reader, reviewer or author, please consider the Journal of Youth Development your home for finding and sharing scholarship that bridges research and practice.

Our vision is to see every teacher in the St. Louis region using their local community, beginning with their schoolyard and extending beyond, as an effective learning environment.

The mission of the LREC Teacher Partnership Program is to equip teachers to become effective outdoor place-based educators;

Officially, we are a recycle/reuse/repurpose not-for-profit organization (RESOURCE CENTER) that survives on donations and community grants.

Our resource center consists of 5,000 sq. ft. of clean/dry household and industrial discards and recyclables that are donated to us by more than 35,000+ individuals and businesses in the metropolitan area.

Our customer base consists of 45,000+ local educators representing all metropolitan public and private schools, Parents as Teachers and early childhood centers 

Learning to Give's mission is to provide quality, teacher-written, lessons and resources to help K-12 teachers educate, equip, and empower their students to be giving and caring citizens. 

To maintain a strong civil society, we set an expectation early to "do well" and "do good."

Discover Nature Schools (DNS) lessons engage students through hands-on, outside activities. Students look forward to these lessons, and over a third of teachers report a decrease in student behavior issues on the days they taught DNS.

The Maren Fund is a nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based, academic support to children and young adults with Down syndrome in the St. Louis region.

Miriam Empowers Through Education seminars bring local and national experts to St. Louis to educate and train professionals and parents to better help children who have learning and social challenges.

We believe every child should have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY no matter the circumstances! We operate with support from caring individuals that wish to make a positive impact on the lives of children in homeless and domestic violence shelters as they celebrate their birthdays.

Place-based education transforms how teachers teach and how students learn by expanding classrooms to include a community’s organizations, history, and natural features. Investing in place helps youth engage in meaningful learning and civic life, provides vital support for teachers, and strengthens communities.

PESI Inc., has provided cutting edge continuing education to professionals across the nation.

We work alongside the world’s leading experts to create seminars, conferences, videos and books that meet the needs of adult learners.

Parents as Teachers builds strong communities, thriving families and children that are healthy, safe and ready to learn by matching parents and caregivers with trained professionals who make regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years in life, from prenatal through kindergarten.

Based in St. Louis Missouri, In The Field is nature & outdoor education led by NAI certified Cara Murphy-Smith.We seek to reveal and build affection for the nature that kids can connect to every day in their own neighborhood.

At NAREA, we base our efforts on the fundamental values and principles of the Reggio Emilia approach, and endeavor to offer unique experiences for deepening awareness and supporting ongoing connection among members. 

Professional development is a continuum of learning and support activities designed to prepare individuals for work with and on behalf of young children and their families, as well as ongoing experiences to enhance this work. 

Your St. Louis Public Library responds to the needs of St. Louisans by meeting people where they are. Everyone who enters one of the 17 locations in neighborhoods throughout the City of St. Louis is on equal footing.

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St. Louis Play Therapy Institute provides mental health professionals with affordable professional development. Our play therapy training and network of supervisors provide professionals with the skills they need to be competent in their implementation of play therapy in a clinical setting. Our mission is to bring quality, affordable training to you in an relaxed, supportive environment. 

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The St. Louis Teachers’ Recycle Center, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping creative materials and reusable resources out of landfills and putting them in the hands of children, teachers, artists and others for creative and intellectual development.

Our expert-designed classes and activities help kids ages 6 months—8 years develop core life skills while enjoying healthy, fun, engaging experiences in the physical freedom of local green spaces.

We all know original TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design)

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TEDed takes an educational spin to spark curiosity and initiatives in the direct classroom and the more broad educational system. 

Designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their communities. Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults

While finding and maintaining quality care for your child or youth can be challenging for any family, when a child has special needs the challenges can seem insurmountable.  United 4 Children is here to help! Whether your child has a diagnosed disability such as cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD; a developmental delay; or significant challenging behavior, the Inclusion Specialists at United 4 Children can support your family

NAAEE promotes environmental literacy and civic engagement. 

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I enjoy their yearly conferences. Environmental literacy takes many shapes and forms across the nation. It is great to see the variety of approaches out there and the connected research. 

WIC is the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children. WIC provides services to pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children until their 5th birthday.