About

My World Mandarin Nature School is a 100% Mandarin immersion, 100% outdoor school that is based on uninterrupted nature play, and uses child-led learning method to facilitate and support age appropriate early child development nature activities, learning and emotional coaching for children age 2-8. We operate in a private park in Bellevue plus have field trips when possible to public parks with acres of wetland, grassland and forest to explore.

We are a member of Natural Start Alliance of North American Association for Environmental Education (naaee)

Curriculum

Our curriculum is based on several schools of thought including total nature immersion, interest-led flow learning, emergent curriculum, place-based focus, inquiry based focus, and unstructured, uninterrupted free play. Many of the teaching strategies used are adapted from Wilderness Awareness School’s approach to mentoring children in nature. Furthermore, our curriculum is also influenced by the Council for Environmental Education curriculum-Growing Up WILD, which offers opportunities that are individually, socially and culturally appropriate. Growing up WILD is correlated to the National Association for the Education of Young Children Standards and Head Start Domains.

In addition, we focus on individualized emotional coaching to help children master this set of skills that are vital to their success and happiness in schools and later in life.

Staff

The Lead Instructor, Orien Kuang, is a master emotional coach for young children, and a master naturalist experienced in nature schools. She has been trained in Outdoor Leadership with Washington Trails Association and the Coyote Mentoring at Wilderness Awareness School. She is Adults and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED certified. All staff members have cleared criminal background checks. Orien is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Her background includes science news, water conservancy and agriculture project management, and Mandarin drama and broadcasting. Our volunteers have strong outdoor skills and years of experience working with young children.

My World Mandarin Nature School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, marital status, disability, and age in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and other school-administered programs.