Monica Martinez Urrea
Banyan Forest Kindergarten
An exceptional nature-based & Spanish-immersion education for children, preschool and kindergarten ages, operated by Monica Martinez, an experienced Waldorf teacher, in partnership with the
School on The Rise on its magnificent eight-acre property in southwest Austin, Texas.
Why a forest kindergarten?​
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Nature is always teaching. When a child begins their education in the beauty and harmony of the natural world, they have a life-long engagement with learning. The landscapes and elements of nature are the best teaching aids we could hope for—especially when they’re presented to the child by an adult who knows and cares. The forest kindergarten is an exhilarating approach to early education that was begun seven decades ago. LEARN MORE
Monica Martinez Urrea
Monica's path to work with children started with her two sons over a two decades ago.
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Her love and enthusiasm for children and healthy child development, drove her to train as a Waldorf Early Childhood teacher and to get certified on RIE–Emmy Pikler’s methodology.
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She opened the first Waldorf kindergarten in her home city, Guadalajara, Mexico. Later, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, she opened her own kindergarten with an outdoors approach.
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Monica has given workshops on child development for parents and teachers. She also co-directed a project for a kindergarten in Mexico City where she worked as pedagogical director and trained and mentored teachers for 7 years.
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In my trajectory with children I have witnessed the benefit that occurs when children are in nature. I have worked hard to inspire teachers and parents to go that route with their children.
Now Banyan Forest Kindergaten provides just that.