Green Curriculum

OCP’s Green Curriculum introduces environmental education to young children in a holistic way that intrigues them and ideally leads to a lifetime of wonder and respect for the natural world. As children deepen their connection with nature, they develop empathy, learn about science, and become eager and thinking caretakers of the environment. Specifically, our Green Curriculum has the following framework:

We help children feel a connection to nature. We create opportunities for sensory exploration while marking the cycle of the seasons. Children who feel connected to nature are more likely to become responsible stewards of it.

We encourage curiosity about the natural world. We introduce children to plants, animals, insects, and rocks, and tell stories about human encounters with nature. We hope that piquing an interest in nature during early childhood will lead to an enduring enthusiasm for scientific discovery and develop empathy for all living beings and their habitats.

We demonstrate ways to be environmentally conscious. We lead the children by example and teach tangible practices for living more sustainably. Even preschoolers are able to develop a baseline sense of environmental efficacy and stewardship that we hope will stay with them for a lifetime.

At root, OCP is a child-led preschool that encourages learning through play. Growing out of this, each individual teacher is responsible for implementing the Green Curriculum framework in his or her classroom. Teachers have the flexibility to craft the curriculum for their class based on the interests of their particular children, using developmentally appropriate materials and lesson plans.