Meet Sarita Covington

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarita Covington a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarita, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Launching Upper Manhattan Forest Kids in the vibrant Harlem community, where I aimed to provide outdoor education inspired by Danish forest schooling, was simultaneously exhilarating and intimidating. The desire to fill an unmet need fueled my inspiration, but imposter syndrome crept in with questions and doubts. Would the community embrace this innovative approach? Did I truly have what it takes to pioneer this unique path?

Despite my years of experience as a teaching artist in diverse communities, doubts about my ability to hold these sacred spaces for families lingered. To overcome this, I sought community input. I invited friends who taught Montessori to observe our early classes, gaining valuable perspectives. I traveled to Denmark numerous times to explore various outdoor forest schools. In the States, I attend outdoor education training programs, and I read whatever I could get my hands on about outdoor learning, child development, and ecology.

Interestingly, the most profound lessons came not from books or structured programs but from the children and the land itself. Their curiosity and instincts, combined with the natural surroundings, became my greatest teachers, reaffirming that, despite initial uncertainties, I was on the right path and equipped with everything I needed. The practical learning process alongside the community and nature not only quelled my imposter syndrome but also became the heart of my educational philosophy.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I started Upper Manhattan Forest Kids, where we lead outdoor classes for children based on the Danish model of forest school, which is schooling that takes place almost exclusively outdoors. The forest or natural area acts as the classroom in all kinds of weather: rain, snow, and sun. In New York, we have made adaptations to the Danish model to make it more resonant and relevant to the concerns of our culture and urban environment. We are proud to have been one of the early adopters of this approach in New York City, using New York’s abundant public parks and green spaces, and are happy to see more and more people warming up to the idea. We have had hundreds of children come through our classes, and it gives us great joy that we were able to facilitate those essential early relationships between young humans and the Earth. Now, in our eighth year of operation, we’ve been focusing on expanding our work into thought leadership and advocacy that amplifies inspiring models of urban outdoor education. To that end, we’ve just released an e-book called Urban Forest School Kit on our website. The Kit offers visionary methods for beginning this kind of intergenerational relationship building in whatever urban green space is accessible in your part of the word. We’re also creating more partnerships with organizations that believe embodied education in and with nature is vital to humane conservation.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
In hindsight, the three most important skills that were most impactful on my journey have been courage, humility, and community building. Running your own business takes an incredible amount of courage. That’s why I’m always amazed by entrepreneurs’ ability to dive in without a net and take risks for something they believe in. It’s not easy and not for everyone, but the courage to begin something without a blueprint is something to be proud of. And there’s going to be failure. You’ll try things that just don’t work, or you’ll make mistakes in your learning curve. Having the humility to take responsibility, apologize when necessary, and be accountable for unintended consequences is part of the process and is character-building and humanizing. No one is perfect, and seeking perfection is a trap. Finally, I would not be where I am without being able to lean on community. While there’s lots of solo work, when it comes to being an entrepreneur, every business owner truly knows they didn’t accomplish anything entirely on their own. I encourage others to reach out and invite stakeholders and community to share their ideas and visions. Even when you receive pushback or criticism, that’s important information. You’ll find your people, and your people will find you if you stay persistent and refine based on positive and negative feedback from your community.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Absolutely, I am actively seeking visionary collaborators who share a passion for youth, education, and environmental stewardship. Drawing on my background in the arts, I thrive in creatively designed collaborations that leave a lasting impact. Upper Manhattan Forest Kids has successfully partnered with schools, environmental conservation organizations, and the New York Public Library, to name just a few. All are committed to innovative approaches in youth and family engagement and environmental education.

I welcome future collaborations with individuals and organizations dedicated to working with young people and urban families. So, if you’re an educator, land-based practitioner, urban designer exploring inventive approaches to land use, researcher, eco-arts organization firmly committed to anti-racism, or anyone else interested in co-creating humane societies that prioritize mutually beneficial relationships with the planet, I’d love to connect.

If you resonate with our mission and vision and envision a collaborative effort that combines creativity, education, and environmental consciousness, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at mail@uppermanhattanforestkids.com or send me a DM via Instagram. Our handle is @uppermanhattanforestkids.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Feature photo by German Marin

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