Department or Program

Environmental Studies

Abstract

Many childhoods in the United States are now shaped by technological overload, rising safetyism, excessive consumption, and accelerating climate change: forces that disconnect children from themselves, from others, and from the natural world. These conditions underscore the need for educational approaches that respond to the changing landscape of childhood. This thesis investigates how early childhood outdoor education can cultivate interconnectedness, environmental stewardship, emotional resilience, and creativity to build climate resilience. I conceptualize these capacities as four “roots” of climate resilience, showing how they are cultivated through everyday experiences in outdoor learning environments. Drawing on qualitative research, I conducted semi-structured interviews with Maine outdoor educators, authors, and program directors and synthesized scholarship from the fields of environmental education, ecopsychology, and climate resilience. Ultimately, this thesis positions early childhood outdoor education not simply as an enrichment model, but as a critical framework that equips young children with the relational, emotional, ecological, and creative tools necessary to navigate and respond to a rapidly changing climate.

Level of Access

Open Access

First Advisor

Clark Uchenna, Rebecca

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

149

Components of Thesis

1 pdf file

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