Even before the dramatic and transformative events of 2020, we recognized the need to strengthen a specific set of connections: those between design professionals and early childhood education professionals. All children who spend time in early learning spaces, such...
It’s not often that books in the field of education and design crossover in such an accessible way, and that speak directly to the truth and the times we find ourselves in. ‘Schools That Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind’ by Claire Latané is one of...
This year Natural Pod will be teaming up with Green Schools National Network and heading to the Green Schools Conference! It’s taking place virtually over two half days on June 28 and 29th, and there are some fantastic speakers and interactive sessions and...
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Raised by a single mother alongside four other children. A dedicated mother, who pursued quality education and care for each of her five children, no matter the costs. Ashanti continued on to pursue an education in early childhood...
On average, we make a mere 35,000 decisions each day, from deciding how many times to hit snooze, to each element of a meal, to making purchases as a consumer or business. Navigating these decisions can be simple or complex – which would you prefer? Make a...
Oak Park Unified School District approached their furnishings and finishes as intentionally as the building itself – with the goal of supporting their district-wide sustainability values and instructional program. This story is featured in the spring issue of...
It’s been incredible to witness the resilience of educators during this last year and their commitment to their students well-being, both academically and with a deep care for their emotional states and individual circumstances as well. Not that the Natural Pod...
One of the biggest mistakes that I made early on as a school designer was to engage in the change process around learning spaces without a team. Don’t get me wrong. I asked for input, listened to the needs of others and designed with empathy. All of these elements are...
Every step forward in recognizing the power of good between and for people and the planet, is a step towards a kinder and more equitable world. We are delighted that Natural Pod has been recognized as a runner-up in finals for the BCBusiness 2021 Business of Good...
Every step forward in recognizing the power of good between and for people and the planet, is a step towards a kinder and more equitable world. So we are delighted that Natural Pod has been announced as a finalist in the BCBusiness 2021 Business of Good Awards! And...
Over the last year as the pandemic has grown in consequence, I’ve been listening to the open schools, keep schools closed debate. Some of it, on both sides, seemed like a proxy war about things like teacher voice, local control, and funding, but some of the debates...
In a time of uncertainty, being able to visit The Collective Tennyson Childcare Centre was a moment of both inspiration and reflection. Reflection on why we do what we do and inspiration to keep doing more of it. There are a lot of good people who are continuing to do...
Wow, what a year! We’d like to pause for a moment as 2020 draws to a close and deeply acknowledge educators and parents and the courage they’ve shown in navigating the unprecedented circumstances of this past year. Our team has directly experienced how incredibly...
Anyone in education is standing at a crossroads right now with choices to be made. This time is unexpected, it’s challenging, and it’s uncomfortable – but it is also a catalyst for positive change.“The biggest changes in our society have only come about when...
The Oak Park Unified School District serves nearly 5,000 students and is the first Green Ribbon school district in California. When they had the opportunity to revamp their middle school learning environments, they took a more unusual approach to meet their...
Voyagers’ Community School was already a very intentional and inspiring learning environment to be part of. In light of the pandemic they have been working hard to adapt their learning environments to meet physical distancing needs while still being the healthy,...
After all these months, it feels that collectively we’re taking a deep breath and accepting that unfortunately covid is here to stay for the foreseeable future. In some ways that makes the task ahead a little easier, in that most educational institutions,...
When products are described as being sustainable and environmentally responsible what does that really mean? And does it always mean the same thing? There isn’t a universal definitive definition, and that’s why one has to look a little deeper into a company’s...
The idea of what is required from educational environments was evolving long before the pandemic, and although this year has been full of challenges there has been a consistent vocalization that we need flexible, sustainable, and adaptable learning spaces now more...
LearningSCAPES 2020 conference ‘Passport to Learning’ is November 4th-6th. If you aren’t already involved, we highly recommend this fantastic annual conference for K-12 educators, architects, designers and industry leaders. This year it’s going...
Sprig, the last classroom table you’ll ever need
