CORE VALUES
"WE ARE A LEAVE NO TRACE
EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY PARTNER"
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Additionally, we provide an effective education by being and learning in the great outdoors, growing, eating, and having access to healthy foods, and acknowledging the gifts of beauty and design. We teach nutrition, environmental conservation, and respect of time, money, energy, and resources.
MISSION
It is our mission to empower communities with experiential nature based education to fortify global balance through preparedness.
It is our Vision to provide our students with an authentic well-rounded education intended to foster the confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills they will need to be successful in the greater community.
CORE VALUES
Love of Nature
We value the diversity and resilience of nature and treasure its beauty. Nature sustains and renews us, provides unexpected moments of joy, and inspires our daily work.
People & Community
We care deeply about our families, our partners, our community members, and the communities in which we work. We learn from their experience, expertise, and beliefs, and together we work to build healthier, more vibrant communities that welcome and respect all people.
Credibility
We bring expertise, sound science, long-term thinking, and community knowledge to advancing the effectiveness of education strategies. Our personal and organizational integrity serves as a foundation for our work.
Passion & Commitment
We are committed to nature and to people. We share our passion with others to connect people with nature and to inspire everyone to be stewards of the environment.
Inspiring Action
We believe that every person can make a positive difference. Through hands ON educational experiences and personal discovery we foster a healthy community mindset and conservation ethic in current and future generations.
Teamwork
We work together to embrace opportunities and challenges in an ever-changing world. We encourage creativity, innovation, and action while respecting individual points of view.
Inspired by the Audubon Society
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."
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--John Muir
GOALS
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To provide an innovative and seamless early childhood education and beyond utilizing a whole-person PBL approach in the Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina ​​
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To provide a safe, healthy, and dependable environment where children can develop a sense of trust and well being
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To provide a stimulating, inspirational environment where children can have hands-on experiences in order to learn by doing
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To promote each child's physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development through participation in a variety of activities
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To be a sustainable, effective, and highly valued, professional organization that exhibits, expresses, and administratively supports the vision, goals, and values of our organization.
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To provide activities that will inspire further curiosity in a variety of subjects
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To provide a variety of materials and activities to strengthen and satisfy old interests as well as develop new ones
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To encourage children’s growth and development of curiosity, creativity, self-discipline, confidence, and self-esteem
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To consistently encourage and promote parent/guardian, and community input and participation
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To promote staff evaluation, on-going education and training
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To ensure on-going high-quality education by continuously evaluating the program's operations
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To be involved in community activities and promote the local community resources
"If you wish your children to think deep thoughts, to know the holiest of emotions, take them to the woods and hills, and give them the freedom of the meadow; the hills purify those who walk upon them"
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-- Lucille Clifton
"Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all of their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them."
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--The Audubon Nature Preschool
