Hi, My name is Savonia, and I am fundraising to create an outdoor classroom in our beautiful garden space for the 2022-2023 school year for my incoming Kindergarteners.

With our district's masking mandate now in place, I urgently want to create this outdoor classroom space, as we are not required to wear masks outside. It has also been on my vision board to make another Outdoor Classroom at SDCCS for the students for some time now.

Most people know the tremendous benefits of spending time in nature, but the benefits of an outdoor classroom for children are even greater. A number of studies have documented increased school performance through outdoor education. Further research has documented increased standardized test scores, enhanced attitude about school, improved in-school behavior, improved attendance, and overall enhanced student achievement when students learn in and about nature.

In addition, outdoor education effectively engages a greater range of children’s

intelligences. Many researchers contribute the increase in performance to increased

relevance and hands-on experience of learning outdoors. Learning outdoors is inherently more active and increases students’ physical, mental, and social health. Some studies have even shown that physical activity increases with outdoor learning. Access to nature has also been shown to decrease the symptoms of ADHD and the stress levels of both students and teachers.

Outdoor education and play both support emotional, behavioral, and intellectual development. Studies have shown that students who learn outdoors develop: a sense of self, independence, confidence, creativity, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, empathy towards others, motor skills, self-discipline, and initiative.

Many years ago, my co-teacher and I created an outdoor classroom specifically because one of our neurodiverse students could not function inside a classroom. Inside, he was a danger to himself and others, and we noticed he thrived in the outdoor environment. So we moved our whole class outdoors! You can read about our story here!

I aim to create this environment again at my school. I have the garden space to work with but need the resources to make this outdoor classroom come to life. I will use the funds raised to purchase ten 3-ft curved cedar benches, an industrial weatherproof whiteboard, two shade sails, and a bamboo garden fencing to block out the view of Genesee Road. These items will not only allow the new kindergartners to begin their educational odyssey mask free, but also build a permanent outdoor learning space for the school.

THANK YOU for helping make this happen for my Kindergarteners and me, and creating a shared space for the Garden Teacher and his elementary students to learn and thrive outdoors.

THANK YOU for helping make this dream happen for my Kindergarteners and me and for creating a shared space for the Garden Teacher and his elementary students.

XO, Savonia