Rakeb Tesfaye, a 5-year-old student at the Julia Goldstein Early Childhood Education Center in University City, said she enjoys playing outside because she gets to make friends.
“And I get to go like this, and like this,” Tesfaye shared as she imagined herself swinging on monkey bars at a playground. She and her schoolmates were eating lunch at the Missouri Botanical Garden after receiving some good news Tuesday afternoon.
Soon, she and her classmates will have more opportunities to learn and play outside after the school received $75,000 for a new outdoor space.
The grant was provided by the PNC Foundation in partnership with the Missouri Botanical Garden and the school in an agreement that the money will be used to help spruce up the outdoor learning environment at Julia Goldstein. The move also comes as PNC marks the 20th anniversary of PNC Grow UP Great, an initiative designed to prepare children from birth through age 5 for success in school.
A recent PNC-funded study by the National Institute for Early Education Research showed that 49% of children ages 3-5 are playing outside less than once a day. Reviews also suggest that pre-K programs conducted in nature-based settings can promote better learning and development, according to Michael Scully, PNC regional president for St. Louis.
“I think of when I was a kid, you would spend all day every day outside and show up only for dinner,” Scully said on Tuesday. “The research found the most compelling thing is kids aren't doing that. And many of them are just getting outside once a day. And so if they're not outside, it means they're inside. And it means they're doing other things that are not as beneficial as some of the experiences you could have in the outdoors.”
The money will be used to create a naturescape at Julia Goldstein, as well as provide other items for navigating wet environments, tools for digging in the soil and professional development for teachers to enhance their learning and their skills, said Sharonica Hardin-Bartley, superintendent of the School District of University City.
“All children should have access to hands-on learning that's innovative,” Hardin-Bartley said. “And when we think about the space that we're co-creating, our young people will be able to influence what happens with the naturescape. They have ideas too, even the 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds.”
According to Hardin-Bartley, those with limited access to resources understand the importance of outdoor learning, as well as working with teachers to create space so that students can not only experience the benefits of physically being outside, but also get the mental and academic benefits.
“There’s curriculum and professional development for teachers so that they are able to build their capacity to engage students in meaningful activities,” Hardin-Bartley said. “When you see the smiles and the joy — I even hear their excitement over to my left as they're exploring the garden, but it's joy. It's about bringing joy to learning and joy to Julia Goldstein, and this partnership and the funding is making that possible.”
What is a naturescape?
A naturescape contains a lot of different aspects, said Sean Doherty, vice president of education for Missouri Botanical Garden. It’s an outdoorsy environment that includes having rocks or boulders for students to climb on and log pieces or other nature items that students can manipulate and be able to jump to and from or use as seats, Doherty said.
A naturescape can also include raised beds for gardening and various water features that allow students to be able to grow plants or have a mud kitchen.
“And, and I think that one of the other things, too, is having the opportunities for them to have the tools to get outside, making sure the students have the right clothing, rain jackets, rain boots, so that way they can use utilize the space throughout the entire year, and not just when the weather's good,” Doherty added.
The botanical garden staff will bring its expertise, which will be blended with that of Julia Goldstein’s staff to create the naturescape, Hardin-Bartley said.
Doherty said that in addition to creating the naturescape at Julia Goldstein, botanical garden leaders plan to engage University City stakeholders to gauge how other student needs can be met in the future. He said they hope to eventually expand the partnership with PNC to other schools in the area.
“We're hoping that we can spark that love of nature at the early childhood level, so that way it continues on through their lives,” Doherty said Tuesday.
