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Proud to support Blue Cross NC as they bring TeamFNV to NC!

Proud to support Blue Cross NC as they bring TeamFNV to NC!

First Environments Early Learning Center

First Environments Early Learning Center

Down East Discovery Play and Learning Park in Rocky Mount, NC

Down East Discovery Play and Learning Park in Rocky Mount, NC

Thompson Child Development Center

Thompson Child Development Center

Shepherd’s Way Day School

Shepherd’s Way Day School

Sandhills Children’s Center

Sandhills Children’s Center

First Environments Early Learning Center

First Environments Early Learning Center

Care-O-World Enrichment Center

Care-O-World Enrichment Center

Sandy Plains UMC Childcare Center

Sandy Plains UMC Childcare Center

Noah’s Ark Learning Center

Noah’s Ark Learning Center

Shepherd’s Way Day School

Shepherd’s Way Day School

Precious Memories Preschool

Precious Memories Preschool

Kids R Us

Kids R Us

Children’s Learning Center

Children’s Learning Center

Chapel Hill Day Care Center

Chapel Hill Day Care Center

Community School for People Under Six

Community School for People Under Six

Roan View Child Development Center

Roan View Child Development Center

Intermountain Children’s Place

Intermountain Children’s Place

Genesis Academy and Pre-School

Genesis Academy and Pre-School

The Learning Garden Child Development Center

The Learning Garden Child Development Center

The Jewish Preschool of Sardis

The Jewish Preschool of Sardis

Building Blocks Learning Center

Building Blocks Learning Center

Triplett UMC Child Development Center

Triplett UMC Child Development Center

Kiddie Kollege

Kiddie Kollege

Future Generation Child Development Center

Future Generation Child Development Center

Quality Child Care

Quality Child Care

Friends Playhouse Child Care Center

Friends Playhouse Child Care Center

A Child’s World

A Child’s World

Munchkin Academy

Munchkin Academy

Heron Pond Montessori School

Heron Pond Montessori School

YWCA of Asheville

YWCA of Asheville

Irene Wortham Community Child Center

Irene Wortham Community Child Center

First Baptist Child Development Center

First Baptist Child Development Center

Tiny Tots Childcare

Tiny Tots Childcare

SPEC Nine Inc.

SPEC Nine Inc.

Earth Angels

Earth Angels

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD1)

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD1)

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD2)

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD2)

John Rex Endowment 2016 Progress Report

John Rex Endowment 2016 Progress Report

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD3)

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD3)

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VIEW DISCLAIMER

The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), its partners and supporting entities assume no responsibility for the installation of outdoor components and/or designs and their use. In no event will NLI be liable for any loss or damage, including without limitation, indirect or consequential, incurred during the construction or use of outdoor play and learning environments. NLI further suggests adherence to the guidelines set forth in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook and to follow local, state, and national code requirements concerning but not limited to land use, zoning, safety, accessibility, permitting, and approval of plans prior to construction.

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College of Design
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Campus Box 7701
Raleigh, NC 27695-7701


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naturalearning@ncsu.edu

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children smelling herbs in garden with teacher

Growing Up with Nature

Creating environments for healthy human development and a healthy biosphere for generations to come.

- NLI Mission

For 25 years, the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) has applied community-based, equity-driven design thinking to create healthy, natural play and learning environments. The NLI Resource Hub offers a collection of free public resources dedicated to supporting the development of biophilic play and learning environments where children can grow up caring for the planet and each other. These resources encompass landscape design, research, professional development, and information dissemination.

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What are NLI Resource Hub Categories?

Design Sites

Real-world places where NLI has provided professional landscape architecture design assistance.

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Infosheets

Two to four page documents about implementing and maintaining nature-based play settings.

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Interactive Apps

Web-based teaching tools and virtual experiences about exploring and designing nature-based play settings.

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Leaflets

Single-page documents about activities for children and caregivers in nature-based play settings.

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Natural Learning at Home

A month-by-month newsletter series about nature-based activities for children and families at home.

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Programs

Comprehensive projects that combine design assistance, research & evaluation, professional development, and dissemination & communications.

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Publications

Printed and published books and resources about nature-based design, education, childhood, and more.

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Research

Published scientific research about nature-based design, childhood, behavior mapping, and more.

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The Green Desk

A blog series responding to NLI’s most frequently-asked-questions.

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Videos

Videos created by NLI and our partners about nature-based design, education, childhood, and more.

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What are NLI Resource Hub Tags?

Affordable Settings

Elements of outdoor learning environments that can be built and deployed at a low cost, but with a great impact.

Community Engagement

Families, partners, neighborhoods and cities that help outdoor learning environments thrive and grow.

Fundraising

Information for raising resources to build and maintain outdoor learning environments.

Gardening

Resources about growing plants and all the different ways it benefits young children.

Healthy Eating

Fruits and vegetables, trying and tasting, growing and eating. Learn how young children can be excited to eat nutritious food.

Outdoor Installation

Building and constructing outdoor learning environments can be challenging. Find resources to guide your project.

Outdoor Management

Maintaining and sustaining outdoor learning environments is vital to their long-term success. Learn about managing environments.

Outdoor Safety

Risk management in play areas is critical for certification and regulation. Learn how to create safe spaces and address concerns.

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The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), its partners and supporting entities as­sume no responsibility for the installation of outdoor components and/or designs and their use. In no event will NLI be liable for any loss or damage, including without lim­itation, indirect or consequential, incurred during the construction or use of outdoor play and learning environments. NLI further suggests adherence to the guidelines set forth in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook and to follow local, state, and national code requirements concerning but not limited to land use, zoning, safety, accessibility, permitting, and approval of plans prior to construction.