Mission:
Find Us Outside, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 2016. The mission of Find Us Outside (FUO) is to instill a love of learning through our holistic nature immersion programs. Our programs encourage each child to develop socially, emotionally, and physically through interest-led play and exploration. The natural landscapes, fresh air, loose parts in the forest, and the changing seasons will comprise our unique classroom.
Phone: (203) 491 – 0596
Philosophy:
At Find Us Outside, we strongly believe the best educational practices for children are those that are initiated by the child’s natural curiosity. Children flourish when free to make observations about the natural world, uninhibited by walls, desks or the need for an indoor voice. When engaged in free play outdoors, children explore, investigate and have opportunities to try and fail, then reconsider their options and try again. These experiences build confidence and resilience, instill pride and empathy, create self awareness, engage the imagination, teach responsibility and cooperation, stimulate the senses while simultaneously providing exercise, increasing coordination, reducing stress and so much more.
We believe in strong community connections, parent involvement, respect for the natural world and each other. Recent studies have shown an increase of “nature deficit disorder” among children of all ages. Children in 2018 are spending more time indoors and sedentary than at any time in history. The reasons for this are multitude ranging from increased pressure to succeed academically at school to the proliferation of portable electronic devices. The lack of unstructured, outdoor time in a natural setting correlates with an increase in attention disorders, depression, obesity, and overall cognitive development among young children.
For these reasons, our families are committed to this alternative approach to early childhood education and appreciate the benefits of spending time in nature.
