The University of Cincinnati (UC) Online has announced the introduction of a unique nature-based learning concentration in its Associate and Bachelor’s programs in Early Childhood Education, covering birth to age five. This makes UC the first institution in the U.S. to offer a fully online early childhood education degree with a focus on nature-based learning.

Kathleen Bryan, UC’s Program Coordinator, highlighted the growing trend of nature-based education, supported by UC’s Arlitt Center for Education, Research, and Sustainability, one of the oldest laboratory child development centers in the country. Research supports the importance of children engaging with nature, which fosters their understanding of the environment and develops a sense of responsibility for sustainability.

The program is designed to equip educators with environmental knowledge and eco-pedagogies to implement learning experiences in both formal and informal settings. Graduates will be trained to embrace nature in their teaching, from green playgrounds to forest schools, preparing them to engage children in developmentally appropriate, nature-based learning practices.

The curriculum emphasizes creating high-quality, inclusive learning environments that respect cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity. It aims to develop teacher-naturalist educators who can design interdisciplinary curricula in natural settings, encouraging children to problem-solve and make decisions independently.

Supported by research from the National Science Foundation, the program builds on studies conducted at UC’s Arlitt Center, further emphasizing the university’s leadership in nature-based education. With the rapid growth of nature-based preschools in the U.S., this degree responds to the increasing demand for educators skilled in this innovative approach to early childhood learning.

UC Online has been a leader in online education for over two decades, and its early childhood education programs are ranked among the top in the nation.