At Chicago area 'forest school,' nature is the classroom and children are explorers

Rachel Mikottis leads Free Haven Forest School, where learning is child-led and kids are outside in all weather., the sound of howling beckons students around the campfire to hear about their next learning activity: extracting honey from a bee hive."Because they can sting you," answered a student.Being inside is unusual at Free Haven. In the last year, the school has served over 300 students between the ages of 3 and 14 through outdoor programs that happen 12 months out of the year.

While younger students extracted honey, teacher Becky Sanders instructed older students in fire building, using ferro rods to create sparks on cotton balls and kindling. At Free Haven, students guide teachers to what they want to learn about, and in turn, teachers design a curriculum that covers all subjects centered around their interests.

Parent Katie Willis said her 5-year-old experienced a huge confidence boost participating in Free Haven Forest Schools Forest Explorers Program.Mikottis first started teaching students outside to keep them safe during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Because there were no other forest schools in Illinois, Mikottis decided to start her own. When Free Haven launched in 2021, it held programs at forest preserves.

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