Early Education Majors Bring Exploration Station Program To Preschoolers

(Abilene, Texas) Bringing nature into the classroom is the goal of a new Early Childhood Education program at HSU called Exploration Station. 

The six-week program for 3, 4, and 5 year olds, which started last week, is run by Hardin-Simmons’ Early Childhood Education students. The students work with a curriculum developed by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to teach younger children about nature.  

“I have many enthusiastic future teachers who are eager to share the curriculum with the children enrolled in the program,” said Dr. Perry Haley Brown, dean of the Irvin School of Education. “They have worked very hard to prepare learning stations, bulletin boards, and exciting lessons during the early part of this semester. We feel certain that the children will become more aware of nature and the environment through the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department activities.”

The Exploration Station program uses the Growing Up WILD curriculum from Texas Parks & Wildlife created by the Project Wild State Coordinators. The HSU Early Childhood students will also complete their Growing Up WILD training during the experience.

Brown said the activities are designed to appeal to the natural curiosity of younger learners.