All children are entitled to a beautiful natural environment with loving guidance as they grow and learn in their early childhood years. Too few children are afforded this rich experience, but I have worked my entire life to provide it.

Hi! I am Liberty Winn, M.A.T., a childhood trauma specialist, and I've been working in classrooms and educational environments for the last 35 years. I've developed a rich, magical, diverse early education program that centers on global stewardship, ecology, social equity and resilience through community enrichment. I've been running this program by word of mouth for the last eight years in San Diego, Ca.

Here's me and my Mom. She suffers from Alzheimer's, and her condition has progressed dramatically over the last two years. It became apparent that she would need much more care than she was currently getting. My mom needs me, and I knew I had to move back to the Bay Area as soon as possible to take care of her.

In June, I did it! I closed my beloved preschool, packed my school curriculum and equipment into 2 large trucks, tucked my family in the car and made the move. We found a place to rent close to mom and big enough to set up my school program. I’ve been with my mom every day since, and her life has dramatically improved.

Our new home and school site is in a great urban location and will serve this community well for many years to come, but the yard is all concrete and needs many improvements to provide a safe, natural outdoor environment for the children.

The move was very costly, and we encountered unforeseen delays. As a result, I am struggling to pay bills and have started charging food on credit cards. I need to get my income restarted ASAP.

That means renovating the school site. This picture shows the current state of the school site and the reason I am asking for your help:

I am seeking funding to transform this barren old urban space into a garden oasis, a beautiful outdoor learning environment full of plants and animals in a natural setting for early education. Please look at the photos below to better understand what I plan to create. I have plans for everything listed below and a permit to remove the concrete. Once the concrete is gone and the yard is cleared, the improvements will begin.

Step one is to remove 759 square feet of old cracked concrete. Then I will transform the space by adding:

1. A pollinator garden

2. Native and edible plants

3. Vine-covered areas with natural exploration zones

4. Learning centers for nature and ecology

5. A greenhouse classroom

6. A creature center for various amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and fishes

7. Shaded areas for eating and gathering

8. An art studio

9. A nature eco-art crafting space

10. A stage for performances

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and your consideration in helping me make this happen. I know exactly how to do this, and with your help, I will create a greatly needed, flourishing outdoor urban community school!

Any help is greatly appreciated at this critical time.

With love,

Liberty

P.S. - These are some photos of the school I ran for the past eight years in San Diego and an excellent example of the enriched educational environment I will be creating here at my new location. There are more pics on my Instagram: Oasis Organic Community School