Recent research respondents were asked if their classroom environment is conducive to 21st-century learning, which was described in the survey as “learning that includes collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving.” The types of...
Tiny Scholars is Bridging the Gap Between Generations An inspiring new playschool has opened inside the Amenida Seniors Community in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada creating a unique intergenerational program that connects children with seniors. Developed to foster...
Memories: everyone has them. The smell of cookies, cakes, or pies from the oven, the gentle breeze of a sunny day, the beauty of a waterfall, a song, a perfume, lights, sounds, words, and scenarios, all trigger something in everyone’s memory. When someone has...
Tosha, a 27-year-old single mother and early childhood educator, was at her breaking point. “I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown,” she confessed to her college advisor. Overwhelmed with managing a classroom of toddlers alone for two weeks, working 12-hour days,...
Can conferences serve as a true meeting of minds without dismantling the myriad of barriers to attending traditional in-person events? By maintaining the status quo, these gatherings become limited to the minds – and bodies – of those who are privileged...
When we refer to our community we’re talking about you: all the educators, administrators, parents, architects and designers who pull together to make the experience of learning better for children. Because that’s what is at the heart of this work; creating and...
This is a time of needing to ask and answer big questions. Social Venture Institute (SVI) is a big-hearted, socially minded ecosystem of CEOs, entrepreneurs, advocates and changemakers who care about humanity and the planet, and see the urgent need for...
In collaboration with educators, architects and school leaders, Natural Pod intentionally creates learning spaces that are designed to set students up for success; both today, tomorrow and for this fast-moving world. Through the lens of this goal, we’ve learnt a...
For those of you familiar with SXSW EDU (South by South West Education), you’ll know it’s a four-day conference that takes place in Austin, TX, each March, offering compelling sessions, in-depth workshops, engaging learning experiences, mentorship, film...
For all educators, planners, architects and stakeholders interested in transforming early childhood education the A4LE Early Childhood Education Conference (ECE 2022) conference is for you! The annual ECE 2022, held on September 19-20th in Chicago IL, has partnered...
The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) is a non-profit, interdisciplinary association of professionals working at the intersection of learning and place to drive the evolution of learning environments. Made up of regions and chapters across the globe, their...
When designing for early learning, the most successful environments are those that are equally created to support parents and working families. By including early childhood programs, that include before- and after-school activities, larger goals that focus on parental...
The Global Education Guidebook: Humanizing K-12 Classrooms Worldwide Through Equitable Partnerships by Jennifer D. Klein, really is just that, a guidebook and essential resource for: ‘Educators who are striving to connect their students to classrooms and experts...
In the United States, there is a group of seven days a year acknowledged in the month of May, which we call ‘Teacher Appreciation Week’. But anyone connected to children or education (which is nearly everyone in some way) knows that to truly honor the...
Never has it been more important for humans to gather and work together to solve some of the biggest problems of our time. The starting point, as always, is education. Too many institutions are operating within an outdated industrial model; which doesn’t serve...
Welcome back, Natural Pod™ LIVE, Episode ten is available to watch! About this Episode: Since the beginning days of the industrial model, learning environments have been anchored to direct instruction and information-giving models. A place where students, or pupils,...
Our upcoming webinar ‘Case Study: How Indoor/Outdoor Classrooms Deepen Students Learning’ is sharing the key lessons learned from a unique middle school project based in California. Repurposed shipping containers were innovatively used to create...
We’re delighted to be participating and bringing you this webinar after its previous re-scheduling. The webinar, ’How Indoor/Outdoor Classrooms Deepen Students’ Learning’, is taking place on Wednesday 8th December at 3-4pm ET / 12-1pm PT. It’s being...
Since the beginning days of the industrial model, learning environments have been anchored to direct instruction and information-giving models. A place where students, or pupils, show up to a building to learn because that location was the only place for it to occur....
Recently, on September 13th and 15th, I was able to participate in the Design for Early Learning Symposium, organized by Alissa Rupp, FAIA, LEED BD+C, Principal, FRAME | Integrative Design Strategies and Diane Kroll, Founder of Imag(e)ine Collaborative, an excellent...
Turning Care into Change: Natural Pod at Champions Retreat 2026
