Let's Learn Together Outside: Families Playing, Building Relationships, and Connecting with Their Community in Nature

Abstract

Libraries provide ideal learning spaces within communities. By partnering with them, families are able to access equitable programming that promotes Family Engagement with the library and beyond. The program – Let’s Learn Together Outside (LLTO) – was implemented by libraries to provide support to low-income caregivers and their preschool-age (3–5 years) children during vocabulary- and conversation-building activities created to promote outdoor learning and increase participants’ sense of wonder, imagination, and creativity during play. This free programming scaffolded caregivers’ understanding of early literacy and oral language skills while they learned alongside their children about exploring nature. The three stand-alone, interactive sessions utilized a consistent structure and were implemented at eight libraries, located in Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan. With thorough, practical training experiences and professionally designed materials, staff were able to connect with families in ways that sustained learning outside the library walls.

Citation

Sedgwick, E. and Mullikin, W. (2023), "Let's Learn Together Outside: Families Playing, Building Relationships, and Connecting with Their Community in Nature", Williams-Cockfield, K.C. and Mehra, B. (Ed.) How Public Libraries Build Sustainable Communities in the 21st Century (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 53), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 125-136. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-283020230000053011