Nature - Early Childhood Educator

Position Summary

The Nature-Based Early Childhood Educator supports Next Door's mission to help young children and families build the foundation for a successful future by delivering high-quality, play-based, nature-centered learning experiences for children, their families, and the Next Door team of educators as they guide our children in their learning. This role serves children and educators across both Next Door sites (Capitol Drive and 29th Street) and serves as an instructional model for staff and families, supporting the integration of nature-based learning throughout learning environments – including classrooms, outdoor classrooms, natural play spaces, gardens, hallways, and playful learning landscapes.

The Nature-Based Educator designs, builds, and sustains outdoor learning experiences and environments, both indoors and outdoors, at both sites, as well as modeling nature-based instruction in our community early childhood partner sites, on occasion. Grounded in Head Start School Readiness Goals and Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF), this role fosters children's curiosity, connection to the natural world, and growth across all developmental domains.

In partnership with classroom teams and program directors the Nature-Based Educator builds staff capacity through modeling, coaching, co-teaching, and collaborative planning to ensure nature-based learning is developmentally appropriate, inclusive for children's varied learning needs, and aligned with Head Start expectations for high-quality early learning.

• Facilitate engaging, hands‑on nature-based learning experiences in outdoor classrooms, natural play spaces, classrooms, and shared learning environments at both the Capitol Drive and 29th Street locations, with our ECE community partners, and in the community, as relevant.
• Design experiences that support Head Start School Readiness Goals, promoting children's development across cognitive, physical, social‑emotional, language, and approaches‑to‑learning domains.
• Integrate nature-based learning into daily routines and play, ensuring experiences are developmentally appropriate for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
• Support children's emerging inquiry skills through observation, sensory exploration, questioning, experimentation, and reflection in natural environments.
• Document children's learning using observation, photos, portfolios, and Next Door assessment tools (e.g., Teaching Strategies GOLD) to inform instruction and share progress with teachers and families.

• Model effective nature-based instructional strategies for teachers in both classroom and outdoor settings across Next Door sites and all programming.
• Occasionally deliver and model nature-based learning experiences in community early childhood partner sites, supporting alignment with Head Start and developmentally appropriate practices.
• Co‑plan lessons and co‑teach with classroom teams to embed nature-based learning into daily routines, learning centers, project work, and play experiences.
• Provide job-embedded coaching and actionable feedback that strengthens educators' confidence and competence in outdoor and nature-based instruction.
• Collaborate with instructional coaches and education leadership to design professional development, workshops, and learning communities aligned with Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Design and facilitate nature-based learning opportunities for ongoing and event-based parent and family engagement events.
• Promote reflective practice and continuous improvement aligned with Next Door's commitment to instructional quality.

• Design, build, and maintain outdoor learning environments at the Capitol Drive and 29th Street sites that inspire exploration, inquiry, and play while aligning with our national Educare Network and Head Start learning goals.
• Ensure outdoor and nature-based environments are safe, well-supervised, and meet licensing and Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Develop and prepare nature-based learning materials…