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Welcome back, Natural Pod™ LIVE, Episode twelve is available to watch! About This Episode: In this episode, our host, Bridgitte Alomes, CEO of Natural Pod, was in conversation with Suzy Potts and Amanda Barrett of Creekside Creative Academy; looking at how they’ve...
Bridgitte Alomes, founder of Natural Pod learning furniture, joins the ONEder podcast to advocate for creating healthy, sustainable and intentional learning environments for children. Inspired by her son's allergic reaction to toxic chemicals in a toy, Bridgitte...
Welcome back, Natural Pod™ LIVE Episode Eight is available to watch! About This Episode In this uplifting edition of Natural Pod LIVE, our CEO, Bridgitte Alomes, chats with the wonderful Jerzell Pierre-Louis. Jerzell, the Owner and Founder of Sprout and Bloom Early...
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,...
Welcome back, Natural Pod™ LIVE, Episode Eleven is available to watch! About This Episode Each choice we make leads to an outcome, whether intended or not. That statement was the catalyst for this episode’s discussion: how we can make sustainable choices now, that...
Welcome back, Natural Pod™ LIVE Episode Nine is available to watch! About This Episode Educating for a sustainable future is no longer an option; it’s a necessity. In this episode, our host, Bridgitte Alomes, CEO of Natural Pod is in discussion with Jennifer Seydel,...
Natural Pod™ LIVE Episode Six is available to watch! If you are in any way connected to educational architecture, design or planning, this episode with Kate Mraw, Design Director at LPA Design Studios (LPA), is an absolute must watch! Kate shares so much insight...
Natural Pod™ LIVE Episode Seven is available to watch! The idea of a Culture of Care + Connection is ever evolving, but at the core it’s simple: to care for ourselves and those around us, by connecting with our communities and the natural environment. Verena Gibbs,...
Welcome back, Natural Pod™ LIVE Episode Five is available to watch! This was a really uplifting episode; full of discussions of what’s possible when you think big and aim big while leaving lots of room for trying out new things and seeing what happens. This week...
Welcome back, Natural Pod™ LIVE Episode Four is available to watch! About This Episode This episode offers such an inspiring and eye-opening conversation between Maureen Dockendorf, Early Care and Learning Strategic Consultant at the British Columbia Ministry of...
The physical environment fundamentally shapes human behavior, and in educational spaces, intentionally integrating biophilic design elements can positively influence student actions to drive better learning outcomes. While humans have an intrinsic need to connect with...
Originally written by Michelle Carpenter. Updated by Natural Pod on March 30, 2026. A child walks into a classroom and within seconds, they start making sense of the space. The light. The colors. The level of visual noise on the walls. Before a single lesson begins,...
That is how long a child spends in a classroom between kindergarten and graduation. That is 15,000 hours of breathing, touching, and existing in a space that tells them who they are and what they are worth. If you have ever stood in a learning environment and known in...
Designing a learning environment means making decisions for children you haven't met yet, at ages they haven't reached, in a room that will be used in ways you can't fully anticipate. That weight is real — and educators carry it every time they choose furniture. One...
Designing for a Regenerative Future At Natural Pod, we believe that when we design spaces with care, we create the conditions for everyone to contribute their best work. This principle guides our presence at the 2026 B Corp™ Champions Retreat in Milwaukee, where we...
Traditional school buildings were designed for an industrial era that has long since passed. Mirroring a factory assembly line, these spaces were built on a model where students move sequentially from room to room for seated, direct instruction. This system was...
There is growing consensus among educators, neuroscientists, and child development researchers that the environments in which children learn matter as much as what they are being taught. Nowhere is this more evident — or more underutilized — than in early childhood...
Move beyond “sit and behave” with student-centered learning. Learn how to redesign school culture and physical environments to spark curiosity and agency.
Research shows risky play builds essential life skills. We dive into the benefits of adventurous play and how to empower educators to embrace it safely.
The Design Mandate for Future-Ready Skills The modern educational landscape requires a shift toward cultivating robust, future-ready skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and resilience. These competencies are essential for success in rigorous Project-Based...