Nature Warriors

Our Teachers

Stephanie Manna, Director and Head Teacher

Stephanie was born and raised right next to Golden Gate park, and has a great appreciation for the natural beauty that San Francisco has to offer. A former Girl Scout and Outdoor Ed participant throughout her school career, she believes that all humans, especially the youngest ones, thrive physically, cognitively and spiritually in an outdoor environment, interacting with nature. She worked as a nanny for 10+ years and has volunteered at Presidio Child Development Center, Mills College Children’s School, and her church’s children’s ministry. Stephanie studied Early Childhood Education at San Francisco City College and earned a BA in Child Development from Mills College in 2015. She is also CPR/First Aid certified, Trustline background certified, and a mandated reporter. The highlight of Stephanie’s career working with children was finally living out her dream of owning and teaching at her licensed daycare, Little Friends in Oakland. After 5 successful years of running Little Friends Stephanie moved back to San Francisco to open Nature Warriors!

Testimonials

Excerpts of testimonials from parents Stephanie has worked with:

“Stephanie is such a thoughtful and nurturing caregiver and communication with her has been easy, timely and clear.”

“I could not be more grateful for Stephanie’s care, organization, and reliability. Stephanie is an accomplished early childhood expert. She uses a variety of tools to engage [my child]… I also truly appreciate her emphasis on close-knit, small sized groups…”

“Stephanie is very attentive to the children’s needs and does a great job coming up with fun and engaging activities for them…She is easy to communicate with and has been flexible and easy to work with.”

Philosophy

At Nature Warriors, we believe that there isn’t just one “right way” to do something, therefore, we’ve taken learning concepts and teaching strategies from various philosophies to create our program. From encouraging self sufficiency and providing child led activities inspired by the Montessori Method, to the “process over product” project-based learning of Reggio Emilia, Nature Warriors seeks to meet the children where they are and support them in going as far as they can. We also understand that environment is very important to learning, and use a variety of outdoor spaces to our advantage. The environment is the classroom and also a teacher.

Location

Nature Warriors will utilize the east end of Golden Gate Park, in and around Koret Children’s Quarter Playground and surrounding areas. Drop off and Pickup will be at the picnic tables above the Koret Playground parking lot- very easy and accessible for a quick transition!

About our program

Nature Warriors follows a nature and play based curriculum that prepares curious spirits and energetic bodies for school and life! We provide preschool aged kids with nature enrichment through exploration and immersion in an outdoor environment. Core preschool concepts such as math, science, literacy/language skills, art, and music/movement are introduced through hands on experiences such as curriculum based activities and games, spontaneous play, and nature walks. Large and small motor skills and spatial awareness are also supported through the outdoor curriculum. Group and social skills such as cooperation, conflict resolution, and empathy are developed through meaningful social interactions, trusting relationships and shared experiences. There are also opportunities for individual exploration, play and reflection.

Discussions and question asking and answering, reading books, and even listening to music and short nature podcasts will help to clarify and strengthen the understanding of concepts. Fieldtrips add to the excitement of learning and help keep the kids engaged in a topic. We are a theme focused half day program that will hold your child’s attention, inspire learning, and foster meaningful connections with peers. And most importantly, WE HAVE FUN!

Admissions

Before applying please look through the website to get a feel for the program. Next, contact the director to request an in person, phone, or zoom chat to answer questions and decide if the child, family and program are a good fit (no tours are available because there is no facility). After your child is accepted into the program you will be sent out a parent handbook to review and enrollment paperwork to fill out. Once you have returned the completed paperwork and signed last page of the handbook, and paid the $50 enrollment fee, your child will have a secure spot to start with us!