About Samara Early Learning

We help educators create nature-based schools or add the nature-based approach to existing programs. With our support on the business or teaching side of operations, educators help young children learn with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives.

Our vision

We envision a world where all young children learn with nature as part of their formal education in order to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives.

Our mission

Samara’s mission is to help early childhood educators implement high-quality nature-based education in order for young children to learn with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives.

Bringing the vision & mission to life

To accomplish this, our work falls into three broad categories:

  1. Help organizations or individuals start nature-based schools

  2. Help education leaders grow nature within their existing curriculum

  3. Conduct research related to nature-based teaching and learning

This work includes publications, courses, a membership community, workshops, coaching, and consulting.

Samara Early Learning, nature-based early childhood education

Our guiding principles

Why the name "samara"?

The term “samara” is meaningful for several reasons. First, it is the scientific term for the helicopters, whirlybirds, or whirligigs that children often play with. There’s pure joy is tossing a samara into the air and watching it twist and whirl its way to the ground! Nature-based early childhood education is of course focused on providing children with joy-filled experiences and learning opportunities.

Second, the name represents the intersection of personal connection and meaning with scientific naming and categorizing. Technically a samara is an indehiscent, usually one-seeded, winged fruit from a plant such as the elm or maple tree. By helping kids understand that helicopters have another, more scientific name we are supporting their language, comfort, and identity as a scientist—someone who studies the natural world around them.

Third, the appearance of samaras varies by species based on the particular context where it grows, and yet all meet the basic criteria for being considered a samara. This is true for nature-based early childhood education programs as well. There are core commonalities in philosophy and pedagogy, but the details will vary depending on environmental, cultural, and community context.

Fourth, the maple samara has personal significance to our founder as a symbol of the arrival of spring in her home in the upper Midwest. In early spring the maple tree provides the sweet sap that is made into maple syrup. Later in spring the leaves and samaras emerge on the tree. Both are symbols of renewal, growth, and hope for the future. Nature-based early childhood education is inherently hopeful for the future as we are investing in the health and well-being of future generations.

Now that we’ve explained why we chose “samara” we should discuss pronunciation. The word can be pronounced “sam-er-uh” or “suh-mair-uh.” We typically use “suh-mair-uh,” but you can say it whichever way you choose. In fact, in the end we don’t care how you pronounce the name so long as you call us when you’re in need of administrative, curricular, or research help related to nature-based early childhood education. 

Samara Early Learning, nature-based early childhood education
 

Samara can be pronounced “sam-er-uh” or “suh-mair-uh.”

We typically say “suh-mair-uh,” but you can say it whichever way you choose.