Co-Founders Sarah Besse and Shela Sinelien met in 2016 while in graduate school for Early Childhood Education at Wheelock College. As educators in the public schools, they noticed that their preschool children felt most alive when engaging with the natural world and their local community. They began to dream about expanding opportunities for nature-based education.

Around the same time, Co-Founder Sara Murray began taking her students outside to learn and play. As a first grade teacher at an independent school, she started the Forest Explorers after-school club; during summers, she taught at nature-based camps. Happily, the three educators found one another and joined forces to open the first BOPN class at the Arnold Arboretum in September 2019. BOPN arose out of their mutual desire to provide a joyfully muddy childhood fostering curiosity, movement, art, science, and connection with nature and each other.

After a joyful first year outdoors at the Arboretum, they opened a new program at Massachusetts Horticultural Society (Wellesley) in September 2020.

BOPN is dedicated to advancing equity in access to early childhood outdoor education. We currently allocate 10% of our anticipated annual tuition revenue towards scholarships for families with financial need and families of color. Moving forward, BOPN seeks to collaborate with public elementary schools to start "Forest Fridays" inspired by those in Vermont and New Hampshire, as well as afterschool programming.

BOPN Scholarship Fundraiser - Keri Percival Prints

By Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

BOPN Scholarship Fundraiser - Keri Percival Prints

Team Members