656. Start Before You’re Ready: Building Good Natured Learning from the Ground Up (Becca Katz)
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Overview
Meet Becca 🤝, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Good Natured Learning. Her work reminds us that the deepest lessons often begin where the wilderness starts.
In this episode, we follow Becca’s journey from exploring Wisconsin’s backwoods to leading educational programs in Kenya and how it’s all about creating true belonging between students, teachers, and nature. Good Natured Learning isn’t just a program but a movement to reshape education, showing nature as the ultimate classroom for connection and growth. Becca guides us on how to overcome imposter syndrome, building community-led solutions rooted in local wisdom, and what authentic leadership really means.
This heartfelt conversation is a must-listen for anyone passionate about leading, learning, and living with deeper connection, it’s a beautiful reminder of nature’s healing and inspiring power ✨
Learn:
Imposter syndrome is a common challenge for many, including founders
How nature can be a powerful teacher and healer in education
How Good Natured Learning aims to connect underserved youth with nature
Why community involvement is crucial for effective education
Building a global vision requires local insights and collaboration.
Stories about how generosity can come from unexpected places and people.
The importance of lifting up educators rather than adding burdens
Why being enough is an inside job; everyone can make an impact
“It’s easy in this world to sort of wait until you have enough, but being enough is an inside job.”
Episode Transcript
Download Full Episode Transcript Here
Episode Highlights
Becca's Journey and Connection to Nature (02:33)
The Birth of Good Natured Learning (05:33)
Connecting Underserved Youth with Nature (08:14)
Building a Program from the Ground Up (14:06)
The Leap of Faith to Kenya (17:27)
Collaborating and Launching in Kenya (20:10)
Building In-House Expertise in Education (22:56)
Diverse Educational Backgrounds and Imposter Syndrome (23:53)
Navigating Imposter Syndrome in Founding (26:03)
The Journey of Founding and Rejection (29:43)
Creating a Lift, Not a Burden for Educators (33:46)
Moments of Generosity and Community Impact (38:45)
Becca’s One Good Thing: Lifting Up Educators (42:38)
Powerful Quotes
"We need to embed nature connections in the day-to-day practices of a school." - Becca Katz
"We want to equip educators everywhere to connect students with nature." - Becca Katz
"We want to grow the choir, not just reinforce the choir." - Becca Katz
"It's easy in this world to sort of wait until you have enough, but being enough is an inside job." - Becca Katz
"You don't fake it till you make it; you just try stuff and then you make it." - Becca Katz
"Human nature connections are essential for our well-being, but they're existential for our planet's well-being." - Becca Katz
"We want every single kid on the planet to have some nature connection in their day-to-day life in school." - Becca Katz
"We want to lift teachers in their work and not be a burden to them." - Becca Katz
Becca’s One Good Thing: "Everything has to be a lift, not a burden. We want our work to buoy teachers, to bring them joy."
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