Texas Children in Nature Network Summit 2024

Welcome to the 2024 Texas Children in Nature Network Summit held in Waco, Texas!

After registering for the Summit and making your Wednesday Workshop selection, you will be enrolled in your selected workshop by TCiNN staff. You will see your workshop on your schedule after you have been enrolled.

You do not need to select and add your workshop to your schedule.
All workshops are "frozen" and only staff can manage enrollment.
If you do not see a workshop option on the registration form that is listed on the workshop PDF, that means it is full and no longer available.

Regular registration ends November 30.

Late registration begins December 1.

Once late registration begins, any cancellations will not be refunded.

Thank you for registering for the 2024 Summit!

arrow_back View All Dates

1:00pm CST

Field Workshops Around Waco

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

General

1:00pm CST

Blue Spaces and Connection to Nature: Kayak Paddling Trip

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Presenters: Dr. Jay Maddock, Director-Center for Health & Nature, Professor – Texas A&M University School of Public Health and Dr. Debra Kellstedt, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension

Location: Brazos River, Waco, 1-4pm - Brazos Park East at South Boat Ramp

Strands: Physical & Mental Health, Nature for All

This workshop will include a kayak paddling trip down the Brazos River in Waco. Stops will be made along the way to discuss the health effects of blue space, accessibility, water safety (especially as it relates to children) and caring for our waterways. By the end of the session, participants will be able to discuss the health benefits of blue spaces, analyze opportunities for creating blue space programming, and create safe and effective ways to get children into blue spaces.
This workshop involves an active kayak trip. Participants should be able to kayak for up to an hour and should be prepared to be outdoors and on the water in December.

If there is inclement weather that prevents kayaking, the workshop will be held as a walking tour of blue spaces.

Speakers

Jay Maddock

Professor, Texas A&M University

Debra Kellstedt

Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

Changing Perspectives: Shadow Day - Forest School activities for ages 18 months to 5th grade. Pond Water Testing, Spots, & Tour.

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Summit School
Presenters: Mr. Peter Holmstrom, Ms. Camree Schraeder & Mrs. Melissa Skrhak
Location: Summit School, 1-4 p.m.
3701 Mockingbird Ln, Lorena, TX 76655
Strands: Early Education Outdoor Learning Environments, Formal & Informal Education

Join us at Summit School for a dynamic day of experiential learning. Upon arrival, registrants will tour the campus with the Head of School, and then smaller groups will rotate through the following sessions. Upon arriving at our expansive 35-acre campus, our Head of School will guide you through our facilities. In Session 1, participants will engage in hands-on activities where adults experience learning through the eyes of learners, choosing between early childhood forest activities or upper elementary integration of science standards. Session 2A explores how farm animals enrich learning, followed by outdoor activities that can enhance daily toddler routines. Meanwhile, Session 2B includes a visit to the creek for sit spots and journal prompts designed to foster curiosity and connection with nature. In Session 3, participants venture to the pond to test water quality and observe microorganisms within the ecosystem. The day concludes with a Q&A featuring Summit School staff reflecting on the integration of forest learning into educational settings. Come discover how Summit School inspires outdoor education beyond traditional classroom walls!

Speakers

Melissa Skrhak

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

Collaborating for Coastal Education: Chasing the Tide Learning Resources

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Presenter: Anne Marie Fayen, Curriculum Developer for Chasing the Tide Film, Fayen Consulting
Location: Mayborn Museum Complex, Baylor University, 1-4 p.m.
1300 S. University Parks Dr., Waco, TX 76706
Strands: Formal & Informal Education, Community Engagement & Partnership

Everyone in Texas is connected to the Gulf Coast. Join this interactive session to explore the K-12 learning resources that support the documentary series, Chasing the Tide. The learning resources highlight six themes from the documentary including: Ghost Wolves, Oysters, Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, Aplomado Falcons, Birds, and the issue of trash in our waterways. Test out learning activities yourself and identify how you can use these resources with your audiences.

Anne Marie will share the in-depth details of the collaborative efforts that went into creating the Chasing the Tide learning materials, highlighting how conservationists and educators worked together to create accessible resources. Leave this session with practical ideas and tools to share the beauty and complexity of the Texas Coast with your audiences. Become part of Chasing the Tide’s work to address the environmental issues faced by our resilient coast. Please bring a phone, tablet, or laptop for this workshop.

Speakers

Anne Marie Fayen

Curriculum Developer, Fayen Consulting LLC

I create K-12 learning resources for environmental ed materials. Most of my recent projects have been connected to nature documentaries.

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

Designing Natural Play Spaces in Urban Centers, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Presenters: Adam & Jill Bienenstock, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds
Location: Cameron Park, Redwood Shelter, 1-4 p.m.
2300 Cameron Park Dr., Waco, TX 76707
Strands: Formal & Informal Education, Early Education Outdoor Learning Environments, Greenspace Conservation & Development

Participants will be coached to create their own natural playground designs out of sand and mini components all set to scale. We will start the design by using five basic elements: changing topography, creating pathways, and adding boulders, logs, and large trees. Next, natural playground components will be included in their designs to create areas that include art/creative play, dramatic play, science concepts, and areas that enhance social skills and collaboration. Participants will get a chance to present their models to the group while providing constructive feedback that will support the design principles, safety standards, and educational objectives presented earlier. Affordable ways to achieve these goals will be presented throughout. Specific attention will be paid to CPTED, ADA, ASTM, and CPSC Compliance. Operations and Maintenance for long-term sustainability and leveraging of current capacities will all be addressed as part of this modeling session.

Speakers

Adam Bienenstock

Founder, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds Inc

Adam is an internationally acclaimed designer, builder, and researcher of nature-based play spaces and the founder of Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds. Adam has traveled globally to advocate for children’s rights and nature play and to design spectacular natural parks and playgrounds... Read More →

Jill Bienenstock

Director of Education, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds Inc

Jill is a registered early childhood educator with over 30 years of experience in various settings. She currently works as the Director of Education, alongside her husband, Adam, at their company Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds. Jill is part of an exciting team that designs and creates... Read More →

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

Growing and Nourishing Healthy Communities by Sustaining Healthy Partnerships

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Presenters: April Strickland - Better Living for Texans, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Libby Barnhill - Mission Waco, Gabriel Garmelo - GTG Outdoors, Emily Hills - Urban Reap, Rae Lucas - Waco Family Medicine
Location: Mission Waco, 1315 N. 15th St, Waco, TX 76707, 1-4 p.m.
Strands: Community Engagement & Partnership, Nature for All, Physical & Mental Health

Participants will learn how Better Living for Texans (BLT) has partnered with local organizations to increase youth programming. They will be able to bring back new community partnership ideas and inspiration to their prospective counties and seek out the BLT Agent there for resources and opportunities to create new partnerships.
Despite all the resources available in the area, there are still hundreds of homeless in Waco and many of them are young people. Mission Waco will share how they are reaching youth in a variety of programs. The group will journey over to Mission Waco’s ‘The Rock’ and hear how GTG Outdoors is aiding in this effort.

Then Urban Reap will discuss local Food Insecurity, Food Access, and Food Sovereignty during a tour of the Jubilee Food Market and walk through demonstration gardens to highlight how they are creating community engagement while also providing youth-centered activities and spaces.

Everyone will walk one block over to tour the Waco Family Medicine Wellness Center to see where patients can exercise indoors by appointment or on the outdoor workout equipment at their convenience. Families can exercise together and be outdoors!

Participants will also be introduced to the Junior Master Gardner’s Learn, Grow, Eat, and Go Program. Everyone will participate in a Hands-On Cooking Demonstration and Interactive Lesson Example utilizing ingredients from the Community Gathering Space Garden sponsored by Waco Family Medicine. This is a teaching garden that is always accessible to the community. A little dirt never hurt! See ya there!

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

Guided Forest Therapy Walk: Engage your senses, quiet your mind, and immerse yourself in nature

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Presenters: Courtney Crim, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Department of Education, Trinity University
Laura Allen, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Education, Trinity University
Location: Cameron Park at Lawson’s Point, 1-4 p.m.
2601 N. University Parks Dr, Waco, TX 76708
Strands: Nature for All, Physical & Mental Health

Our bodies share the same elements as the beings we meet in natural settings. Humans are nature, but we have allowed ourselves to become separated. During this guided forest therapy walk, you will experience the effects of shinrin-yoku—the Japanese practice of bathing your senses in the surrounding forest. The trained certified forest therapy guides will help you slow down by using a standard sequence of invitations that deliberately move you out of your head and engage your senses as you reconnect with the world around you. They will provide multiple ways for you to experience walks so everyone can participate in a way that meets their needs.

These walks are not strenuous and use gentle invitations to increase awareness, deepen connections, and elevate well-being. Honoring the spirit of shinrin-yoku, this experience will close with a tea ceremony featuring tea made from plants native to the forest. Participants will benefit firsthand how forest bathing can impact individual well-being which in turn benefits their educational interactions with children, experience invitations that can be transferred to their own contexts and examine research linking nature experiences to improved wellbeing. Please bring a water bottle and something to sit on.

Speakers

Courtney Crim

Associate Professor of Education, Trinity University

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

Nature Play & Learning in the Museum

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Presenter: Mayborn Museum Staff
Location: Mayborn Museum Complex, Baylor University, 1-4 p.m.
1300 S. University Parks Dr., Waco, TX 76706
Strands: Formal & Informal Education, Community Engagement & Partnership, Nature for All

Visit the Mayborn Museum to see how the museum brings nature play and learning to visitors every week both in the museum and outside! Join the Museum Engagement Team Staff for a tour of the Backyard Ecology Exhibit, a hands-on exhibit that encourages discovery and appreciation for the natural world with our visitors. After the tour, experience hands-on activities that take place at weekly programs in our Village and receive a tour of our Pollinator Rainwater Garden.

Through all tours and activities, learn how museum staff work with the community to enrich these offerings to continue bringing new and exciting offerings to museum guests.

*Parking at the Museum is limited. Attendees are encouraged to take public transportation or carpool. Overflow parking is available at McLane Stadium, access the Museum from the pedestrian bridge over the Brazos River.

Speakers

Emily MacDonald

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

The Lake Waco Wetlands – Wading thru the Wetlands

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Lake Waco Wetlands
Presenter: Nora Schell, City of Waco Lake Waco Wetlands, Program Coordinator
Location: Lake Waco Wetlands, 1-4 p.m.
1752 Eichelberger Crossing Road, Waco, TX 76633
Strands: Formal & Informal Education, Community Engagement & Partnership

Learn about the constructed Lake Waco Wetlands; the history of why it was created, who it benefits, and how it continues to inspire students, photographers, and nature lovers in general. Nora Schell educates students and the greater community about reservoir systems and water issues through outreach and will share problems and solutions for running a constructed Wetland.

During this workshop participants will be introduced to the Bosque River Watershed and go on a tour of the Lake Waco Wetlands, focusing on the flora and fauna of the Wetlands. The tour will be in an open-air trailer ride around the Wetlands. Please wear proper attire, closed toe shoes, jackets, and/or rain gear.

Speakers

Nora Schell

Program Coordinator, Lake Waco Wetlands

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

The Power of Outdoor Play

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Presenters: Dr. Debbie Rhea, Professor, LiiNK Project Director, Texas Christian University
Cheryl Potemkin, Early Childhood Program Manager, Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Location: Dewey Park, 1-4 p.m.
925 N. Ninth Street, Waco, TX 76707
Strands: Physical & Mental Health, Formal & Informal Education

Much is known about the need for play daily in children’s lives. What is less known is how to attract children and adults to the outdoors and create intrigue, curiosity, and an inviting social/emotional climate through different landscapes with different opportunities at schools, parks, and community settings. Presenters will introduce different strategies that have worked with the LiiNK Project (in schools and communities) and Fort Worth Botanic Garden (in schools, community gardens, and teacher support). These include why the outdoors, school recess policies, and procedures, adult role during recess/play, weather guidelines, and equipment/loose parts for different landscapes to create an enticing environment for child and adult play. By the end of the workshop participants will be able to connect with reluctant adults where they are and allow them to change at their pace and they will be able to provide school, park, and community setting strategies that create an enticing recess/play environment for children and adults!

This workshop is for anyone who wants to feel more comfortable helping others who are reluctant to be outdoors, need to understand why the outdoors is so important, and need to be more comfortable being in spaces that produce active, healthy, and resilient children and adults.

Speakers

Debbie Rhea

Professor, Texas Christian University

Deborah Rhea, Ed.D. is professor of Kinesiology and founding director of The LiiNK Project at Texas Christian University. She is an author, researcher, motivational speaker, educational consultant, and behavior change trainer. LiiNK (Let’s inspire innovation ‘N kids), a recess... Read More →

Cheryl Potemkin

Early Childhood Program Manager, Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

1:00pm CST

Waco Mammoth National Monument: Community Partnerships for Preserving and Protecting

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Workshop Around Waco

Presenters: Christine Jacobs, Acting Superintendent - National Park Service, Raegan King and Kaitlyn Holyfield - City of Waco,
Staff - Mayborn Museum-Baylor University, Priscilla Martinez and Hector Sabido - Waco Mammoth Foundation
Location: Waco Mammoth National Monument, 1-4 p.m.
6220 Steinbeck Bend Drive, Waco, TX 76708
Strands: Formal & Informal Education, Community Engagement & Partnership, Nature for All

Visit Waco Mammoth National Monument where the National Park Service (NPS) paleontologist will give a tour of an active excavation of Pleistocene Columbian mammoths. This phenomenal site is supported through a partnership with the National Park Service, City of Waco, Baylor University, and the Waco Mammoth Foundation. These partnerships are vital to the Monument, and representatives from all partner representatives will discuss their role in the partnership including different ways students interact with the site’s resources. Each presenter will also provide some best practices and tips that may help develop new partnerships.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask the panel questions about both the highlights and potential difficulties involved in developing partnerships. While there are often bumps in the road, sites like Waco Mammoth National Monument would not exist without the constant support of all partners. The hope is that participants will take these discussions home and begin brainstorming future partnerships to help students of ALL ages get more connected with nature.

*There is little indoor space at Waco Mammoth, please come prepared for outside conversations. In the event of extreme weather, the partner presentations may be moved offsite.

Wednesday December 11, 2024 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Workshop Around Waco

Wednesday Workshop

Texas Children in Nature Network Summit 2024

From $45.00