Sheila Williams Ridge

Sheila Williams Ridge is the Director of the Shirley G. Moore Lab School at the University of Minnesota. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s degree in education, as well as experience as a business manager and preschool teacher/naturalist. She teaches Nature-Based Learning in Early Childhood and Student Teaching in Early Childhood at the University of Minnesota and A Sense of Wonder: Nature Education in Early Childhood and Foundations in Environmental Education at Hamline University. Sheila is a facilitator for the NAEYC Young Children and Nature Interest Forum, on the Voices and Choices coalition, a board member for the Minneapolis Nature Preschool, and a member of the Natural Start Alliance Council. She is co-author of the book, Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget, published by Redleaf Press and is passionate about encouraging nature-based play and the lasting developmental benefits of a relationship between children and nature.