Thriving outdoors - for children and educators

Phoenix Support for Educators
Professional learning for the Education and Care sector

in partnership with

Educated by Nature
Nature-based learning and outdoor education

Thriving in Nature is a self-paced professional learning course created by two organisations who share a deep commitment to children thriving - and to the educators who make that possible.

Across the course, you'll explore how outdoor environments can support wellbeing, regulation, and thriving - for children and educators alike. You'll be guided to shift away from "managing behaviour" and instead strengthen a needs-based, relationship-centred approach that protects dignity, builds skills, and supports confident decision-making outdoors.

This course includes the following for you to trial immediately in your setting.

🎬
Edited live recordingsEngaging session recordings from a real event, with expert facilitation throughout.
💭
Reflective promptsGuided questions to help you connect the learning to your own practice and setting.
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Downloadable PDF toolsPractical resources to save, print, and use with your team straight away.
Certificate of completionA certificate to support your professional learning record upon course completion.

Welcome to Thriving in Nature

Hear from the presenters about how this Phoenix Support for Educators x Educated by Nature collaboration supports wellbeing, guidance, and nature pedagogy in real-world practice.


Who is this course for?

Whether you're new to nature pedagogy or already confident outdoors, this course offers both a supportive foundation and meaningful depth.
Educators Educational Leaders Nominated Supervisors Managers Coordinators Whole Teams
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Educators

Educators in early childhood and school-age settings who want practical, strengths-based guidance for outdoor play and learning.

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Leaders

Educational leaders, nominated supervisors, managers, and coordinators supporting team confidence, consistency, and wellbeing outdoors.

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Whole Teams

Teams who want shared language and aligned approaches to outdoor play, risk, regulation, and guidance.


In this course, you'll explore how to:

By engaging with this learning, you will:
  • Strengthen educator wellbeing through a practical lens, including how wellbeing shapes what you bring to children outdoors
  • Use the Phoenix Cups® Framework as shared language for reflection, teamwork, and sustainable practice
  • Reframe children's behaviour outdoors as a needs-meeting attempt, and respond with steadier, dignity-protecting guidance
  • Increase confidence supporting outdoor play, including big energy, conflict, and risk-taking moments
  • Identify environmental pressure points and apply small nature pedagogy shifts that support regulation, engagement, and belonging

Ready to support thriving outdoors - for children and educators?

Enrol Now →

How this course benefits you


🌱

Strengthen your confidence outdoors

Build a steadier, more grounded presence in outdoor environments - so you can lead with clarity even in big, messy, unpredictable moments.

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Understand needs-based behaviour

Explore why children behave the way they do outdoors - and develop responses that protect dignity, build skills, and meet needs.

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Support wellbeing - yours and theirs

Use the Phoenix Cups® Framework as a practical, shared tool to understand how wellbeing shapes what we bring to children every day.

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See your environment differently

Identify the pressure points in your outdoor space and apply small, meaningful shifts that support regulation, deep engagement, and belonging.

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Build shared team language

Develop a consistent approach across your team, so outdoor guidance feels aligned, thoughtful, and grounded in the same values.

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Walk away with practical tools

Access downloadable PDF tools and practical next steps you can trial immediately - no waiting until next term to get started.

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome

    2. Student walk through video

    3. Agreement

    4. FAQ

      FREE PREVIEW
    5. Your Professional Learning Notebook - A free gift from Phoenix Support for Educators

    1. Settle In

    2. Before You Watch - Gentle Reflection

    3. Watch - Daniel Opening: Acknowledgement of Country + Icebreakers

    4. After You Watch - Reflect and Integrate

    5. What’s Next

    1. Settle In

    2. Before You Watch

    3. Watch: Wellbeing with Christopher Phoenix

    4. After You Watch - Reflect and Integrate

    5. Apply it

    6. Download: Your Wellbeing Toolkit

    7. Team Reflection (Optional)

    8. Leadership Reflection (Optional)

    9. One Small Strengthening Action

    10. What’s Next

    1. Settle in

    2. Before you watch

    3. Watch: Behaviour Guidance with Sandi Phoenix

    4. After You Watch - Reflect and Integrate

    5. Bringing It Together - A Framework to Carry Forward

    6. Apply it: Choose your next move

    7. Download: From Understanding to Action

    8. Team Reflection (Optional)

    9. Leadership Reflection (Optional)

    10. One Small Strengthening Action

    11. What’s Next

    1. Settle In

    2. Before You Watch - Gentle Reflection

    3. Watch - Song Circle (Daniel)

    4. After You Watch - Reflect and Integrate

    5. Apply it - Rhythm Reset

    6. Your Rhythm Reset - To Keep

    7. Team Reflection (Optional)

    8. One Small Strengthening Action

    9. What’s Next

    1. Settle In

    2. Before You Watch

    3. Watch: Nature Pedagogy with Daniel Burton

    4. After You Watch - Reflect and Integrate

    5. Apply It (Interactive) – Outdoor Environment Scan

    6. Download Your Outdoor Classroom Guide

    7. Daniel's Recommended Reads

    8. Let Them Eat Dirt!

    9. Going Deeper - Blogs from Educated by Nature

    10. Team Reflection (Optional)

    11. Leadership Reflection (Optional)

    12. One Small Strengthening Action

    13. What’s Next

About this course

  • $298.00
  • 5 hours of video content

What this course looks like


We'll explore together
  • How outdoor environments shape wellbeing, regulation, and thriving - for children and educators
  • The Phoenix Cups® Framework (Mastery, Connection, Fun, Freedom, Safety) as a lens for outdoor practice and team reflection
  • Why children's behaviour outdoors is a needs-meeting attempt - and how to respond with steady, dignity-protecting guidance
  • Big energy, conflict, and risk-taking moments - and how to navigate them with confidence
  • Environmental pressure points and small nature pedagogy shifts that support regulation, engagement, and belonging
  • Practical tools and reflective prompts you can use immediately in your setting
You'll walk away with
  • A practical understanding of how educator wellbeing shapes what you bring to children outdoors
  • Shared language and a consistent framework your whole team can use for outdoor guidance and reflection
  • Confidence to support big, challenging outdoor moments with a needs-based, relationship-centred lens
  • A reframed view of children's behaviour outdoors - and clear, dignity-protecting responses
  • Downloadable PDF tools and practical next steps ready to trial straight away
  • A certificate of completion to support your professional learning record

The thinking behind this course

The research behind this course

Thriving in Nature draws on current evidence in neuroscience, positive psychology, and Nature Pedagogy to offer a grounded, humanistic approach to outdoor practice. Rather than a set of rules to follow, this course invites you into a way of thinking - one that sees children and educators as capable, needs-driven people doing their best in the moment.

The Phoenix Cups® Framework - grounded in Self-Determination Theory - provides the central lens, alongside research on nature-based learning, educator wellbeing, and the guidance approach pioneered by Dr. Louise Porter.

Self-Determination Theory Phoenix Cups® Framework Guidance Approach Nature-Based Learning Neuroscience Positive Psychology

Presenters

This course features recorded sessions from a live professional learning day, delivered by Phoenix Support for Educators and Educated by Nature.

Principal Facilitator Sandi Phoenix

Sandi is the founding company director and principal facilitator at Phoenix Support for Educators. Her framework, The Phoenix Cups, have revolutionised how education & care professionals and parents, understand the behaviour of, and proactively plan for, the wellbeing of children and young people. She is highly regarded as an international speaker, coach, mentor, and professional development facilitator.

Wellbeing Facilitator Christopher Phoenix

Christopher is an author, keynote speaker, researcher, and the wellbeing specialist for the Phoenix Cups, and Phoenix Support for Educators. He is the co-author Phoenix Cups book - The Phoenix Cups: A Cup Filling Story, and tours Australia and beyond delivering the Phoenix Cups framework through a highly entertaining Workplace Wellbeing workshop, and keynote presentation. Chris’ workshops and presentations have been dubbed as “edutainment”; the perfect blend of education and fun. As someone who continues to learn, Chris is currently undertaking his Ph.D. in Philosophy, to pursue his theories on authenticity as a virtue, and how we can creating meaningful lives, and attempt to meet our human needs. Christopher began his career in the corporate sector, however, his passion was for philosophy, wellbeing, and understanding human behaviour, grew his side hustle into a colourful full time career as an author, mentalist, and hypnotherapist. This has seen him grace the screens of Australia’s most popular morning show Sunrise, been interviewed on national radio station Triple M, and spoken about the need for wellbeing management in numerous newspaper and media articles. Chris uses mentalism and comedic hypnosis demonstrations throughout his workshops to bring context to identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, and how to live a more fulfilled and enjoyable life. It’s Chris’ goal in life to deliver his workshops to as many workplaces as possible to increase wellbeing practices, and overall wellness in both teams and individuals.

CEO and Co Founder of Educated by Nature Daniel Burton

Daniel is the CEO and co-founder of Educated by Nature, a world leader in play-based nature education since its establishment in 2014. With a background as a qualified primary school teacher, education consultant, rites of passage facilitator, musical theatre artist and passionate nature connection mentor, Daniel plays a pivotal role in shaping the organisation's vision and initiatives. Drawing from over ten years of experience working with thousands of Australian children, Educated by Nature has developed a suite of research-based pedagogies aimed at bringing education outdoors and has gained international acclaim for its innovative approach to outdoor learning. Daniel aims to be a thought leader, sharing expertise through workshops, speaking engagements, and consultation sessions in Australia and further afield. Daniel's passion for nature and commitment to holistic education shines through in his work. He combines current research with practical examples, drawing on a lifetime of learning and experience to provide comprehensive programs and transformative experiences for educators, parents, and children alike. Through Educated by Nature, Daniel continues to advocate for the importance of play and outdoor learning, empowering individuals to explore, discover, and thrive in nature's classroom.



Thriving in Nature

Ready to support thriving outdoors - for children and educators?

Enrol now to access the full course, downloadable tools, and certificate.

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