LEON VALLEY – There’s a new educational space at Leon Valley Elementary School.
“I’m so thrilled that we won this outdoor classroom,” Jenna Hudon, a STEM Lab teacher at Leon Valley Elementary School said. “It’s such a huge piece to our community.”
The school won the Outdoor Classroom contest from Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds and unveiled the space to the classroom Thursday morning.
“Our goal is to create outdoor learning environments. To help teachers bring their kids outside to learn. We’ve really seen impacts on stress and anxiety in children and our teachers,” said John El-Raheb, CEO of Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds.
The company Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds has created these outdoor spaces at over 4,000 locations across North America. The spaces are at schools, nature centers and hospitals.
“Coming out here into the fresh air, into the sunlight when it’s not raining,” Hudon said. “It really boosts the endorphins in their system and allows them to get back on track and reset and be prepared for learning when we need to go back in the classroom.”
Applications are open for schools wanting a similar outdoor classroom: