Take Me Outside

Episode 04: A personal intersection of faith and science

With Jared Goodykoontz of Little Adventures, Big Connections

Children’s author Jared Goodykoontz joins us to chat about how his naturalist self and Christian self have gradually converged and informed each other. He also explains how scientific principles like evolution can exist in harmony with Christian faith, while touching on the importance of engaging in thoughtful dialogue with people whose views differ from yours.

Guest:

Jared Goodykoontz loves connecting with all life around him: feathered, furred, scaled, little, big, green, human, etc. He is blessed to be able to help hundreds of families in central Ohio connect with their local nature every week through his Little Adventures, Big Connections nature program. He loves exploring the senses, tracking, bird language, and gardening with his school’s 2–6-year-olds. His main passion is fostering relationships — between him and his students, his students and their parents, and everyone with the plant and animal life around them. In addition to his weekly program, he has also written and illustrated three children’s books using bits of nature from around his own wooded property. He lives with his wife and two daughters in central Ohio.

Episode 03: Outdoor learning during a time of physical distancing

With Colin Harris of Take Me Outside 

Take Me Outside founder and Executive Director Colin Harris discusses the role of outdoor learning during a time of mandated physical distancing, while discussing physical and institutional barriers to moving beyond the four walls of the classroom. He also highlights the importance of connecting with Indigenous communities to gain their insights on nature and ways to learn about it.

Guest:

Colin Harris is the Founder and Executive Director of Take Me Outside. He initiated the organization by running 7,600 km across Canada over nine months, going into 80 schools across the country and engaging 20,000 students in the conversation of their time spent in front of screens compared to their time spent outside, being active and connecting to nature. He has completed a Master’s of Environmental Education and Communication and currently lives in Banff, Alberta, continuing to find ways to engage Canadian students in exploring this country’s incredible backyard.

Episode 02: The role of Social and Emotional Learning at Residential Environmental Learning Centers

With Estrella Risinger of the Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education in California

Children have the opportunity to develop self-awareness and emotional growth while staying overnight at Residential Outdoor Learning Centers (RELCs) like NatureBridge. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a big part of this, and RELCs now have access to a comprehensive and research-backed new tool, Grow-outside.org. Hear the story of how it came to be and the many ways it can enhance nature-based learning at both the individual and organizational levels.

Guest: 

Estrella Risinger is the Executive Director of the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE) where she works to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California. Recently serving as the National Education Manager at NatureBridge, the largest education partner of the National Park Service, Estrella helped to launch the website, Grow-outside.org, a Social and Emotional Learning Toolkit for Residential Environmental Learning Centers. A former classroom teacher and camp counsellor, Estrella has a background in both formal and informal educational settings.

Episode 01: Pivoting to virtual teaching to deliver experiential, outdoor learning

With Trevor Dunlap and Matthew Broda of the Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning in Ohio

In our first full episode, hear the remarkable story of how, in the span of 8 days, an experiential outdoor learning center made a 180-degree shift from in-person to digital teaching without abandoning their organizational goals. We also discuss the role of digital live experiences in environmental ed. now and in the future, the key to maintaining focus amid turmoil, and how llamas and alpacas can ease “Zoom fatigue”!

Guests:

Matthew Broda is a pre-service teacher, experiential facilitator, and environmental educator based in Wooster, Ohio. As an associate professor of education with The College of Wooster, he focuses on the integration of innovative pedagogies (i.e., experiential methodologies, immersive technologies, ecological sensibilities, etc.) into pre-service teacher curricula. As a former middle school science teacher, Matthew holds an MA in Educational Administration from Ashland University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Kent State University. When not teaching his students, Matthew and his wife Kristin can usually be found somewhere outside smiling.

Trevor Dunlap is the Executive Director of The Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning, an Ohio-based non-profit that focuses on environmental and outdoor experiential education and serving children with special needs through residential camping experiences. Trevor is passionate about hands-on learning and loves fostering creative environments where people can succeed through engagement in the natural world. Trevor holds a BA in Elementary Education and Special Education from Wittenberg University. When not managing Nuhop, Trevor and his wife Sarah enjoy taking their three children on adventures, and can often be found trail-running, hiking, and working the soil in their family garden.

Episode 00: Preview

Here's what you can expect from Talking with Green Teachers. Previews of the first three episodes are also included. Welcome to our community!