Worldmind is pioneering outdoor-based education across Denver, the state of CO, and the nation. From completing the first-ever outdoor preschool pilot program with the State of CO in 2018 to now serving children preschool-6th grade, we're growing to support more neurodiverse, 2e and gifted children.
Worldmind envisions an inclusive community where we celebrate our differences in safe, natural environments, and ignite a greater love and appreciation for ourselves, learning, and the world.
We reunite neurodiverse, twice-exceptional, and gifted children with the natural world by creating mindful, interest-based outdoor experiences which spark engagement, development, awareness, and community through transformative experiential education. We intentionally link our students' understanding of bio and social diversity, so they evolve into compassionate, self-actualized members of our local and global communities.
While working on her graduate degree in Ecological Teaching and Learning at Lesley University, Megan Patterson discovered the Forest School model of learning and development. After teaching in public school settings all over the world for several years and conducting extensive research on the Forest School model of education, she knew this was the type of learning environment she wanted for her own son.
As part of her graduate thesis, Megan formed a group of passionate community members who came together to develop Worldmind and bring the outdoor-based education movement to the Greater Denver Area.
Quick facts on the history and expansion of Worldmind:
- 2018: Completed the first-ever outdoor-based preschool pilot program with the State of Colorado
- 2019: Began a second full-day outdoor-based preschool & kindergarten pilot program with the State
- 2020: Launched a first-of-its-kind outdoor-based elementary school for students kindergarten through 5th grade
- 2021: Became the first fully licensed outdoor-based preschool & kindergarten program in CO, serves students from preschool through 6th grade.
Worldmind will continue to add a grade each year through 8th grade, allowing the students who are currently enrolled to continue learning with the school until they complete their middle school education.
"WNIS is the kind of place you can leave your child knowing that they will be empathized with, understood, and empowered - rare but highly valued qualities."
"While our boys attended Worldmind Nature Immersion School (WNIS), they have shown significant improvement with their emotional intelligence, mental and physical health, and social competence- among other developmental skills emerged through WNIS ECE program. We believe these elements are breakthrough impacts- foundational prerequisites for success in school, the workplace, and developing future environmental stewards in our nature-deficient society. WNIS ECE program shifts core concepts in early childhood development that forces us as parents into rethinking current health and education policies."
"Our family across ages has been deeply impacted by WNIS, but the most interesting has been our youngest. She was only 4 months old when we began, and spent much of her first winter bundled up on my back at school, but once she could be down there was no stopping her. She exhibits a level of independence that her two older sisters took much longer to come to. She walked sooner, talked sooner, and is easily content with nothing but the elements to play with. As a whole. my children have moved away from the need for any toys in general, and prefer their imaginations. I believe we are as a family much healthier as well. In one of the worst winter seasons currently, and my kids barely have a sniffle. Including my baby."
