From Democratic School Founder to Urban Nature Educator
About this episode
Maysaa Bazna discusses her transition from founding a democratic school to creating an urban nature education program that connects students with the outdoors.
For years, Maysaa Bazna led Pono, an innovative outdoor democratic school in New York City, where children followed their curiosity and developed deep connections with the natural world. She saw an opportunity to bring those same experiences to many more children through partnerships with urban Title I public schools. Today, Maysaa is the founder and executive director of City to Sanctuary , a nonprofit that partners with public schools to take students out of the classroom and into nature every month. Through repeated visits to nature preserves, students participate in activities like bird banding, pond ecology, hiking, and ice fishing while building confidence, curiosity, and a lasting relationship with the outdoors. In this episode, host Kerry McDonald speaks with Maysaa about her journey from alternative school founder to creator of a vibrant urban nature education program that is seeing significant, positive results for students and teachers. They also discuss City to Sanctuary's expansion plans, bringing nature-based learning to thousands more students across the country. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org…
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