Lichen Learning Center Intern

For my internship I worked with Lichen Early Learning (LEL), a licensed nature-based preschool for ages 3-5 in Bellingham that is 100% outdoors. LEL has a 'purpose... to cultivate an environment where children, families, and community are celebrated and valued through a holistic, nature-based learning experience.' (LEL Website). They have three stated values that truly captivate their philosophy, and they are: community, equity, and joy. While attending LEL, students learn many skills including empathy and care for others, teamwork, creativity, plant and animal identification, independence, and conflict resolution strategies. Many factors contribute to nurturing these skills, one of them being the teacher to student ratio being 1:4 while part of this is for safety another huge advantage of cultivating deep relationships between teachers and students.