Mind of the Mentor:
Intro to Nature Connection
What makes our programs such powerful educational containers? Do you want to bring new life to your classroom, homeschool, or family? Are you wanting more than is offered by conventional educational models?
Our society’s awareness is experiencing a massive shift, and building relationships to the natural world is more important than ever. Facilitating deep connection to nature and passing down that knowledge is an art form in itself. Forest Floor has been at the forefront of this critical cultural movement for over 10 years.
In this workshop we’ll introduce you to a host of mentoring techniques that help nurture the innate gifts of children. Our proven framework of nature-based mentoring principles consistently result in children who are more alive, embodied, self-sufficient, focused, and reverent.
This is a great leveling-up opportunity for educators, counselors, homeschoolers, parents, eco-activists, mentors, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Next Time and Date
Saturday, September 30, 2023
9:30AM – 4:30PM
Location
All Outdoors – Rain or Shine
Shope Creek Wilderness
472 Shope Creek Rd
Asheville, NC 28805
Low Introductory Cost
$45
Future Plans
Forest Floor anticipates broadening this offering to include overnight weekend and week-long workshops. This single day workshop format is intended as an introductory experience to explore your interest.
Registration
Registration is now open for this program.
What to Expect
This experiential in-person outdoor training takes place in the beautiful wilderness where we host nearly all of our youth programs. Walk the trails, encounter the wildlife, and get a taste of what we do everyday with our students. Show up ready to play games, sing songs, and get dirty.
Our day will be filled with embodied activities, exercises, and discussions that reveal how our unique educational model works and provide you a somatic experience of its powerful effects. Return home with a renewed appreciation and awareness of nature, and the tools to share that with others.
What You’ll Get
Learn to guide children out of their indoor comfort zones, to the edge of their experience and knowledge… and beyond.
In our students we look for qualities of awareness, enthusiasm, health and vitality rather than only measuring a skill or testing for information storage ability. Find out how to shift their focus of attention to include nature as a key element, and regain a grounded sense of place.
This program will cover…
- Intro to the Core Routines of Nature Connection
- Overview of to the 8 Shields Model of natural cycles
- The importance of gratitude, story telling, cultural elements and container building
- Mentoring techniques for a range of ages and maturity levels
- Building a vibrant Group Culture using things such as games, song, ceremony, and rite of passage
- The concept of Tracking: of wildlife, your students and your own internal landscape
- How connection to place leads to deep learning opportunities
- Games and activities that foster deeper relationships to nature
This is For You If…
… you work with children in a teaching, mentoring, or nurturing capacity – whether professionally or as a passionate and caring individual.
If you want to deepen your own life and offerings with an infusion of nature connection, this program is for you.
You…
- Are passionate about nature education
- Want to bring more nature into your classroom
- Want to take your classroom outdoors
- Care for or work with children
- Love the natural world
- Are a group facilitator in outdoor settings
- Want to expand your awareness
- Feel like something is missing in modern educational models
- Enjoy spending time in nature with children
- Are a change-making Cultural Creative
- Want to restore the bonds between humans and the Earth
Registration
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We have a streamlined registration for this program. Simply complete the form below including your payment information.