Beyond Four Walls

Professional Development for Educators - at the Farm

Hands-on professional development that gets educators out of the conference room and into an environment where they can move, observe, experiment, reflect and learn together.

Designed for Early Childhood & Elementary Educators

Beyond Four Walls experiences can be customized for:

  • Preschool & Childcare Centers

  • Public & Private Schools

  • Early Childhood Teams

  • Homeschool Educators/Co-ops

  • Administrative & Leadership Teams

Professional Development That Counts

Half-day and full-day options available. Eligible experiences can earn EEC professional-development hours/CEUs

Tell Us What Your Team Needs

Maybe you’re looking for new classroom ideas. Maybe your teachers are burned out. Maybe you want to get your students outside more. Maybe communication among your staff could use some work.

Tell us what’s happening in your program, and we’ll build a day around it.

  • Animals as Teachers

    Learning with the Herd
    What Animals Tell Us
    Learning Through Animal Behavior
    Take a Hike With the Herd

  • Learning Through Nature

    Nature as the Classroom
    Risky Play: Why Kids Need it
    Big Body Learning
    Slow Down & Notice

  • Tools for the Classroom

    Move, Sing & Play
    Social-Emotional Learning
    Farm-to-Classroom
    Team Communication

Examples of Customized PD Days

  • Stronger Together

    “Our staff needs to work better together.”

    • Communication

    • Leadership

    • Learning With the Herd

    • Hike With the Herd

    • Team Agreements

  • Reset & Reconnect

    “Our teachers are burned out.”

    • Animals

    • Regulation

    • Music & Movement

    • Goat Hike

    • Reflection

  • The Outdoors IS the Curriculum

    “We want to get our kids outside more.”

    • Outdoor Curriculum

    • Risky Play

    • Goat Hike

    • Animal Observation

    • Nature-Based Learning

  • Behavior Is Communication

    “Our teachers struggle with challenging behaviors.”

    Regulation - Animal Behavior - Big Body Learning - Music & Movement - Classroom Strategies

Experiences We Can Build Into Your Day

Learning With the Herd

Explore communication, leadership, trust, regulation and teamwork through guided interactions with horses.

Move, Sing & Play

Learn songs, movement games and rhythm activities with Dr. Tish that you can bring straight back to your classroom.

What Animals Tell Us

Observe livestock behavior and discover how curiosity and careful observation can become child-led learning.

Take a Hike With the Herd

Walk with the goats while exploring movement, nature, animal behavior and outdoor learning.

Learning Through Animal Behavior

Explore how animals communicate, problem-solve, set boundaries and build relationships - and what we can learn from watching them.

Nature as the Classroom

Discover simple ways to turn sticks, mud, leaves, weather and everyday outdoor spaces into meaningful learning experiences.

Big Body Learning

Explore how movement, sensory experiences and active play can support learning, regulation and development.

Risky Play: Why Kids Need It

Take a fresh look at climbing, balancing, exploring and reasonable risk - and learn to distinguish risk from hazard.

Farm to Classroom

Turn animals, agriculture, food and the changing seasons into engaging opportunities for science, math, literacy and more.

Slow Down & Notice

Practice the art of observing before directing and learn out better questions can make room for children’s curiosity.

The Growing Classroom

Turn an underused school garden into a space for curiosity, responsibility and year-round learning.

First Aid & CPR Certification

Take care of required training while you're here! Add First Aid & CPR certification to your team's Beyond Four Walls experience.

And I actually think this is a pretty significant selling point for directors. If they have a full PD day when the center is closed anyway, being able to say “We'll get your staff CPR/First Aid certified AND give them a genuinely enjoyable professional development experience” makes the day much easier for a director to justify.

Seasoned Educators, Fresh Perspectives

Great educators never stop learning, even after years or decades in the classroom.

Beyond Four Walls can be tailored to meet educators wherever they are in their careers, including experienced teams who already have a strong foundation in child development, curriculum, and classroom practice.

For seasoned educators, our programs aren’t about going back to basics. They’re an opportunity to step outside the familiar, see teaching and learning through a different lens, and reconnect with the why behind the work.

Through hands-on experiences with nature, animals, movement, play, and one another, experienced educators can:

  • See familiar challenges differently. Animal behavior, outdoor environments, and experiential activities can offer new perspectives on regulation, communication, relationships, and behavior.

  • Refresh established practices. Explore new ways to approach concepts you may have been teaching for years, and discover small shifts that can make a meaningful difference.

  • Become the learner again. Add a horse to an activity and suddenly even the most seasoned educator is navigating something new. Working with animals takes people outside their usual expertise and creates a powerful opportunity to experience uncertainty, communication, problem-solving, trust, and learning in real time.

  • Learn through experience. Instead of simply talking about play, risk, regulation, connection, or teamwork, educators experience these concepts themselves and reflect on how they translate to children.

  • Share expertise with one another. Experienced teams bring a tremendous amount of knowledge to the table. Our programs create space for discussion, collaboration, and learning from colleagues as well as facilitators.

  • Reconnect with curiosity. Spending time outside the classroom can remind educators what it feels like to explore, experiment, take appropriate risks, make mistakes, and learn through doing, the same things we ask children to do every day.

  • Return with fresh eyes. Sometimes professional growth isn’t about learning an entirely new strategy. It’s about seeing your children, your environment, and your own practice a little differently.

Whether your team includes first-year educators, professionals with decades of experience, or a mix of both, we adapt the experience to build on what they already know and give them something new to think about.

Experience gives you knowledge. Continuing to explore gives you perspective.

Ready to Get Beyond Four Walls?

Tell us a little about your team, what you’d like to work on, and what you’re hoping to get out of your professional development day. We’ll help you build an experience that fits.

Programs are customized to your team’s size, goals and schedule. Experiences take place throughout the farm and can include a combination of indoor and outdoor learning.

Plan My PD Day