VNC Start Up

Hello All, 

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jessica Labbe and I am a Forest Preschool Educator/Ambassador.  I have been working with preschool-aged children for 15 + years and I have decided that it is time to open my own school for other like-minded individuals who believe environmental education and the presence of nature are vital to the development of young children.

You may be thinking: "So what is she doing about it?"  Well, I've applied for a business loan.  My business partner Sebastien and I have scoped out several properties and have found what we believe is the perfect setting in York, ME for our project.  We are busy applying for grants and other finances in order to make this dream a reality.

Now you may be thinking: "How can I help?  This seems like a great idea during the current COVID-19 Climate!"  Well, you can help by donating.  We realize that not many people have extra funds right now, but we are hoping that our friends, family and local businesses will want to help us get started as childcare is essential to the community and we know that being outside lessons the risk of exposure.  Our goal is to provide safe and quality childcare!

"What exactly are we funding?"  We are now working on buying a building for the school.  We've recently moved into the John F Hall Grange Hall and we love the space we are in.  We are hoping to make this a more permanent location going forward!


Here's what the Village Nest Cooperative is all about:

The Village Nest Cooperative School Mission Statement

Muddy children are happy children.

 

The Village Nest Cooperative School Philosophy

·       At the Village Nest Cooperative, we believe that it takes a village to raise well-rounded young naturalists and inspire future confidence in learning environments. Studies show that children who spend more time outside in unstructured settings are more confident in making decisions, working cooperatively, and thinking creatively.

·       We are passionate about raising youth to become environmental and social stewards.  In order to live sustainably children need to learn how to interact safely and respectfully with the natural world.  Our mentors practice sustainability and environmental conscientiousness throughout their lives.  Environmental and social change and activism can only be possible if we inspire our smallest community members to have a voice and take action in change.

·       Our forest preschool model allows our mentors the freedom of teaching respect in organic ways. At the VNC you can expect your children to spend an average of between four to six hours a day outside. We believe the saying “there’s no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing” (David Sobel). We truly embrace what mother nature has to offer to us daily. The benefits of outdoor-based learning include building immune systems, less unnatural and oftentimes overwhelming stimuli, more space, and a passion for nature conservancy. Your child will learn how to be a more independent and creative critical thinker. Our mentors will encourage children to take small and calculated risks, which will foster and promote decision-making skills. These early childhood experiences will be invaluable throughout the child’s academic practice and beyond!

·         The Village Nest Cooperative strives to nurture children in a child-led Emergent environment. Our mentors use our forest space (all day, every day) as well as our indoor space to promote individualized and autonomous experiences for each child. We believe that play-based learning with an emphasis on environmental education creates a diverse opportunity for children to learn. Based on studies, we believe that child development is more of a spectrum than a linear path. Using developmentally appropriate practice our mentors strive to model and encourage child-to-child interactions and engagement. 

·       Play is a child’s lesson and we believe adult interactions minimize the importance of child-led conversations. Conflict resolution is guided but led by our children to promote social and emotional development and intelligence. Our goal is to provide an eclectic understanding of cultural equality and uniqueness by encouraging conversations around race, gender roles, ability, and other forms of differences.

·       We invite all of our families to become part of our Parent-led cooperative to work in unison with mentors and children. Families are encouraged to participate in the day-to-day happenings of the cooperative. 

·       We understand that families have different time constraints, finances, and unique circumstances and therefore contributions can be individualized and varied. Contribution ideas are infinite and equally important in value. We are welcoming of any/all ideas.

·       In true village fashion, we believe that respect is reciprocal. We know that we need to give respect to receive respect as in any circumstance, therefore we require our mentors to be extremely understanding of families and children. We operate with empathy and meeting individuals where they are at. This is reflected in our day-to-day interactions that we have as a community and our educational practices.


Resources: https://naturalstart.org/sites/default/files/benefits_of_connecting_children_with_nature_infosheet.pdf

https://naturalstart.org/sites/default/files/helpingchildrenlovetheearth.pdf

Please reach out for any questions.  

Best,
Jess xoxo