Mission
Vision
Values

As children make friends with all life on Earth, their choices will inherently lead to the changes we all wish to see.

Earth is our home. All life on our planet matters.

Cultivating a love of where we live, an understanding of how we live, and an awareness of who we live with builds a bridge between the natural environment and the (human) built environment. This interconnectedness will be a necessity for our coming generations and the collective challenges they will face. 

We are all Earth Friends.

mission

Earth Friends empowers young children by providing a foundation of education, love, and understanding for our planet and everything it provides us. Children gain a deeper connection to nature, understand their impact on the world around them, and become empowered to make decisions.

vision

Earth Friends sees a world of stewards who are moving our planet and its people in every direction of good for all beings.

  • As adults, educators, parents, and friends, we have an opportunity to teach young children to embrace all life on our planet, which introduces them to different cultures, ways of living, areas of the world, beings on the planet, and experiences different from their own.

  • When we teach very young children about both our own backyard and what lives beyond our own backyard, we empower them with the ability to understand, appreciate, and care for a life beyond their own—a life that might possibly be very different.

  • This skill of empathy as learned through nature and one another creates a foundation of equity and a space for all voices in the context of a young child's world. 

  • Earth Friends brings a love for Earth and all life on it into early childhood communities and classrooms all around the world.

values

curiosity: We approach our work at Earth Friends with an open and curious mind. When we limit ourselves to what is right and what is wrong and only what has been done before, we are restraining the future creators and innovators who can lead us to a better world. We are here to live in a new way and ready to embrace different ideas.

sustainability: As Earth Friends builds the foundation for the future stewards of our planet, we model behaviors and practices that create positive human impact. Sustainability is at the core of our connection with nature and the understanding of how we impact our world. As we teach young children, we as adult, schools, and centers will walk the talk.

equity: We recognize that not all young children have access to early education resources, and we aim to create a greener and brighter future for every human and being through Earth Friends Outreach. Our lessons, materials, trainings, and supports cannot be specific to any one school or community but will be accessible to all children in their formative years, which is the goal of Earth Friends Outreach.

Earth Friends Educators believe in possibility & positivity and practice 5 tenets:

  • There are no wrong answers. Only curious questions. When we limit our teaching to what is right and what is wrong, we are restraining the future creators and innovators.

  • Show. Not tell. An Earth Friends Educator’s job is to present materials and information to the children from an unbiased and objective with a hands-on approach. Let the child discover.

  • Earth Friends does not support the use of technological devices or videos during lesson time. We are expanding the opportunities to build a connection to the present and natural environment.

  • Earth Friends includes a limited number of physical recourses and materials, and Earth Friends Educators are encouraged to reduce consumption by repurposing items, purchasing items second-hand, borrowing items from the school setting, or using items found in nature.

  • While suggested activities are provided to parents and families, all children will experience the consistency of daily activities and responsibilities as seen throughout the school and the classroom.

See how you can be an Earth Friend at home.

Earth Friends was developed to hold a space where our youngest can learn about where we live and how we live and where they can learn to love and respect the interconnected awesomeness of life on our planet. While we focus on environmental awareness for children, we want to hold space for adults too, which is why we’ve created ways to bring Earth Friends into your home.