An encounter with Forest School: Building Resilience, Agency, and Belonging Through Nature-Based Early Childhood Education in the USA

• In Event: Peacebuilding, Philosophy, and Nature-Based Play

Proposal

Introduction
Around the world, educators are exploring new ways to respond to the developmental, social, and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Early childhood education is central to this work, as the formative years are when children develop foundational skills, relationships, and identities. Forest School offers one such innovative approach. Rooted in natural settings of thick forests, rivers, and streams, the school prioritizes play, exploration, and connection to place. Its pedagogy draws on developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) (NAEYC, 2020), nature-based education (Chawla, 2015), and place-based learning (Sobel, 2004). This presentation examines how forest school nurtures children’s resilience, agency, and sense of belonging, situating a local practice within the broader frameworks of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education for all) and comparative and international education.
Relevance
This presentation explores how nature-based early childhood education, grounded in developmentally appropriate practice (NAEYC, 2020), fosters children’s agency, resilience, and belonging. It connects with the field of comparative and international education through its alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (inclusive and equitable quality education) and the conference theme of resilience and peacebuilding. The project highlights how a local initiative resonates with global educational goals by showing the transformative role of child-led learning in natural environments.
Theory / Context
The Forest School is guided by three interrelated frameworks:
1. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), which emphasizes child-centered, play-based approaches;
2. Place-based education (Sobel, 2004), situating learning in local natural and cultural contexts; and
3. Nature-based pedagogy (Chawla, 2015), which identifies the developmental and socio-emotional benefits of outdoor learning.
The school operates in a forest setting with rivers and streams, providing children opportunities to interact with nature in ways that support cognitive growth, socio-emotional development, and environmental awareness.
Mode of Inquiry
This is a practice-oriented project report that draws on reflective inquiry. Data sources include educator observation journals documenting children’s problem-solving and collaboration.The presenter will share videos and photographs of children’s interactions with nature, such as crossing streams, building shelters, and negotiating group tasks, as visual evidence of resilience and belonging in practice.

Findings
Preliminary findings indicate that:
Resilience emerges as children persist through challenges such as navigating uneven terrain and constructing with natural materials.
Collaboration and belonging develop through group problem-solving, peer negotiation, and shared outdoor play.
Creativity and critical thinking flourish in open-ended, nature-based activities.
Environmental awareness increases as children engage meaningfully with rivers, plants, and wildlife.
These outcomes suggest that nature-rich educational environments cultivate skills and dispositions central to lifelong learning and social cohesion.
Contribution
This submission is practice-oriented (Type B). It demonstrates how global frameworks, such as DAP and SDG 4, can be applied locally to create inclusive, sustainable models of early learning. The project contributes by:
Providing a replicable example of how nature-based approaches promote resilience, agency, and peacebuilding from the early years.
Bridging theory and practice through documentation and visual evidence of children’s lived experiences.
Highlighting the potential of nature-based pedagogy as both a comparative and globally relevant practice.

Author

• Georgeline Ezioma Udogu, East Tennessee State University