Sheila Williams Ridge, MA, co-director of the Child Development Laboratory School (CDLS) in the Institute of Child Development, has contributed to a Minnesota Department of Education booklet, Early Childhood Outdoor Learning.
The booklet outlines the purpose of nature-based learning, what it is, and how it can be implemented in early childhood programs. This resource is one of many that the Minnesota Department of Education has developed to support educators in developing and implementing outdoor- and nature-based learning opportunities for young children.
Williams Ridge is one of three authors who contributed to the booklet. Additionally, her publication Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget is cited as a resource for the document.
In addition to co-directing the CDLS, Williams Ridge teaches the courses, “Nature-Based Learning in Early Childhood” and “Student Teaching in Early Childhood” at the University of Minnesota, as well as “A Sense of Wonder: Nature Education in Early Childhood” at Hamline University.