The children of North Minneapolis would benefit greatly from a nature-based preschool. Young children love being outside. They learn best by being active, curious, and playful. There is a wealth of information regarding the need for greater physical activity, sensory integration, and social-emotional development among children. Time in nature offers rich opportunities for achieving these goals.

The number of nature-based preschools is increasing across the nation, yet we do not have a program available for the citizens of Minneapolis. We know there is a market to create such a school, and have worked hard to make it happen on the Northside! A group of us have been meeting since October 2016 to create this inclusive nature-based preschool.

Our purpose is to:
• Cultivate the innate curiosity and wonder of young children
• Empower families to help their children succeed
• Offer children a better understanding of the environment and reasons to protect it.

We are ready to start our pilot program in Sept 2018, have teachers hired, and are fully enrolled with a waitlist. We are excited to be renting from Kroening Interpretive Center in North Mississippi Regional Park. Over 62% of children enrolled live on the Northside.