Planting Wonder at Angels Care & Learning Center

Ask five-year-old Caleb what he loves most about the new outdoor classroom at Angels Care & Learning Center — Maufrais (ACLC), and he'll tell you without hesitation, "My favorite part of garden is the trees, and I like to play in the garden because I like nature."

This reaction is exactly what Thayse França Burns had in mind when she began considering an application to the Bright Green Future Grants program. Thayse, the Business Operations Manager at ACLC, drew on her own memories of nature-based learning at her childhood school in Curitiba, Brazil. “I still remember the first time I harvested a carrot I had helped plant. I felt so proud and excited to eat something I had grown with my own hands,” Thaysa reflected. “I also remember walking past a tree I helped care for and telling my parents that I was part of keeping something alive, something that would continue growing for years, even after I was no longer at that school.”

Thayse dreamed of creating a space that would similarly inspire the young children she works with at ACLC. Angels Care & Learning Center wanted to ensure students had access to engaging green spaces and shaded outdoor areas. With the funding they received, ACLC transformed a section of their playground into a sustainable outdoor classroom, featuring climate-tolerant trees, bilingual signage, STEM exploration tools, and a vegetable garden. Thaysa added, “These features allow children to observe plant growth, soil, leaves, bark, insects, pollinators, water, weather, and seasonal changes up close. Sustainability becomes something they can see, touch, care for, and understand through daily experiences.”

The response from children has been immediate. PreK-3 teacher Jasmine Reyna has watched the space become a natural gathering point. "Since the area was completed, the children have shown a strong interest in exploring and interacting with the new environment," she says. "They enjoy walking around the garden, sitting near the trees, and using the space during imaginative and pretend play."

One new feature quickly captured the children's attention. "Many children are especially drawn to the educational signs, often pretending to read and discuss what is written on them," Jasmine noted. A ten-year-old student agreed: "My favorite part of the garden is reading the signs. And playing with my friends!"

For Thayse, who managed the project, the students’ enthusiasm has been incredibly rewarding. “Our center is located in a child care desert, and many of our children wouldn't be able to have this experience outside of our learning center,” she shared. “I hope the children feel the same excitement and ownership to our environment I felt as a child—and that these lessons stay with them for years to come.”

The Bright Green Future Grants program was designed to recognize and support innovative projects that will inspire students to become lifelong environmental stewards. Applications open at the start of the schoolyear. Learn more about the Bright Green Future Grants program.