Spicer-Wenn would be redesigned from scratch, what a natural-based, early childhood education center should offer, you would almost certainly create what the Prärie Woods Environmental Learning Center already has.
The backdrop in the Nordkandiyohi County offers about 500 hectares of rolling terrain with forests, wetlands and prairie as well as seven miles to explore them.
In addition, the Westby Observatory building, an educational building of five classes, a yurt, a log cabin, a barn and an event facility, a 30-foot climbing wall and all sorts of equipment from snowshoes and occur fat tire wheels.
And from now on the Prairie Woods ELC also has its own preschool in early childhood.
It is located in the Westby Observatory building, where representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of Willmar Lakes Area, City of Spicer and Kandiyohi County gathered for a ceremony for tailoring to the band on February 13 to celebrate its opening.
Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
“Exciting”, as Hannah Stelleny, director of the Prairie Woods Nature School, as a parents of the future students and others soon arrived to see what it offers.
The opening marked the highlight of the work, which goes back one year or more. Jennifer Swenson, director of the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center, said, parents who are available at a natural -based program in the region have got the ball rolling.
“They were enthusiastic about it,” she said.
Post / Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center
Prairie Woods and his Board of Directors saw it as an opportunity for the organization to examine their mission as an environmental learning center again, said Swenson. An early childhood program certainly fits because Prairie Woods has focused on programming young people since its start in 1992.
The work of Kandihyohi County's economic development organization was the key to opening the preschool program.
The economic development of Kandiyohi County received a grant of 500,000 US dollars from the Ministerial and Economic Development of Minnesota for early childhood programming. The scholarship was evenly divided into Prairie Woods and Atwater, which developed four specialized childcare units.
Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
Funding is important for the sustainability of the program in Prairie Woods, said Swenson.
Jelly and three trainers welcomed the first children aged 3 to 5 aged 3 to 5 on February 17. Your inside classroom in the Westby Observatory building is being rebuilt and equipped with learning stations and more for its new role.
Outside, a new play area for young learners was equipped with everything, from a mud slide to sandpit.
It will serve to connect children to nature, said Stelley. The children will carry out a variety of outdoor activities that help develop and improve cognitive and physical skills. The focus is also on social and emotional development and used the opportunity to help an outdoor environment, added.
Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
Stelley has a master's degree in environmental education at the University of Minnesota – Duluth and has experience with both preschool programs and traditional preschool. She has been with Prairie Woods since June. She said she had particularly enjoyed the opportunity to be on the ground floor when developing this new program.
Stelly gives the many parents a lot of recognition in the area who saw the need for this program and provided the impulse to achieve this.
Parents of soon future students and those who want to see what will be available were among the visitors of Prairie Woods for the open house that followed the ceremonial ribbon on February 13. Tom Gilbertson, who, along with his War Ms. Ashley, are parents of one of the first students in the program, Evan, 3, to answer quickly when they were asked why they were registered.
“It is an opportunity for him to play outdoors instead of playing in front of a screen,” he said.
The Prärie Woods Nature School is offered all year round. It is licensed for up to 18 children at the same time. Parents can register in four -day courses a week, from Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or two -day programs that run Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday during the same hours. The school will also offer “Forest Fridays” every week in the same hours.
You can find more information from Prairie Woods ELC at 320-354-5894 or visit his website at Prairiewoodselc.org.