Enjoy all our latest education news and stories
At Natural Pod™, our purpose is to ensure every learner and educator has a practical, healthy, sustainable environment in which to learn and be inspired, enabling them to reach their full potential. You can find all our news and stories here, where we share ideas and thinking that inspire our work to help inspire yours.
Learn from Ashanti Bryant at the A4LE Early Childhood Education Conference
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...
Vote for our SXSW Edu session + help inspire: ‘A Sustainable Future Guided by Social Justice’
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 screenings,...
Join the discussion with Seth Godin to create climate change resources for students + educators
As a community that wants to make a difference in education, best learning outcomes for students, and the ways we can provide a safe and healthy future for them, as well as the planet and its inhabitants. Here is an opportunity to learn more about, discuss and help...
The woman behind the story, team and impact: Bridgitte Alomes
CEO and founder of British Columbia-based, learning solutions company Natural Pod, Bridgitte Alomes, is dedicated to creating better learning environments through the use of beautifully designed, multi-functional and high-quality education furniture and products, made...
Embracing a Culture of Care + Connection
People kept asking me, “How do you make time for self-care?” After getting asked enough times, I wanted to go deeper and study more about creating a Culture of Care + Connection for myself and the people in my life. This idea of Culture of Care + Connection is ever...
An Inspiring, Net Zero Early Childhood Learning Center, designed by LPA
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...
Growing with intention
To further support Natural Pod’s growth and impact in the world, we are delighted to welcome two new solutions team members: Tania Crosbie and Chris Jack. As education advocates, they will bring exceptional partnership to educators and planners who are working to...
What we’re reading: The Global Education Guidebook
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...
Natural Pod partners with five disruptive & planet friendly Canadian companies to transform learning environments
Natural Pod, a Canadian educational furniture manufacturer, curated with five leading sustainability-focused brands a mixed-material collection of furniture and textiles. The selected products not only aim to enhance the tactile experience and harmonious visual...
Caring for the health of people and the planet: an alternative to fast furniture
Bridgitte Alomes, our founder and CEO, had the opportunity to share more about the impact Natural Pod is committed to making in the world, with the support of local partnerships. ~ Article by Rebecca Keillor, published by the Vancouver Sun, BC, Canada....
Joining the dots between environmental education and the classroom environment
Fortunately, sustainability in education has grown a huge amount in the last few years. Whether that's creating more energy-efficient schools, providing cleaner air, or increasing environmental education. But there's a long way to go. There is still a noticeable...
See how these children interact with their new welcoming learning space
When you give children new items to interact with, it's such a joy to witness all the kinds of imaginative games and uses for them they create. So when it came time to try out our new Halfmoon bundles, that's what we did. These are items made of 100% cotton and linen...
Learn about the Better Together partnership collection in ‘Design Milk’
The story begins with a Canadian brand – Natural Pod – a company that believes in creating beautifully designed, durable, sustainable products for students and educators to use in learning spaces. Natural Pod’s new Better Together partnership collection has led them...
What we’re reading: Because of a Teacher
This beautifully uplifting and inspiring book was published near the end of 2021, just when educators really needed to hear that the work they do matters, really matters. Because of a Teacher is a collection of personal stories, brought together to "offer hope for new...
We are Better Together
As a young mother, when your child is sick from exposure to a toxic chemical, a plethora of emotions floods your system. Over ten years ago, that mother was me. I had all of those emotions as my little boy had an adverse reaction to a toy in his learning environment....
Natural Pod™ LIVE – Episode 12 – Designing cohesive environments to support whole-child learning
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...
What we’re reading: Evolving Education: Shifting to a Learner-Centered Paradigm
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 its...
Educators need support and appreciation every week of the year
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 dedication...
Imagine That: Envisioning the Future with SchoolsNEXT
Our very own Michelle Carpenter, Chief Strategy Officer of Natural Pod, is A4LE SchoolsNEXT Southeast Chair, National Co-Chair, and committed to the future of the SchoolsNEXT student design competition. Last year she documented her participation experience in the...
Play Lofts: Putting some play in your day!
Natural Pod™ Play lofts were designed very much with the needs of early learners in mind. The intention was to create spaces that were all their own, where their imaginations could transform the space into any environment they wished, whether a fort, a castle, an...
Natural Pod™ LIVE – Episode 11 – Making sustainable choices for an impact that matters
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...
Part 2: Q&A with a Green Schools National Network Partner: Building Meaningful Family and Community Relationships at Pine Jog Elementary School
This is the second part in a series from Green Schools National Network (GSNN) that features GSNN partners describing best practices and lessons learned, on topics tied to each of the impact systems in the GreenPrint, starting with Leadership. The GSNN GreenPrint™...
Part 1: Q&A with a Green Schools National Network Partner: An Ecosystem Approach Facilitates Visionary, Shared Leadership at New Roots Charter School
This is the first part in a series from Green Schools National Network (GSNN) that features GSNN partners describing best practices and lessons learned, on topics tied to each of the impact systems in the GreenPrint, starting with Leadership. The GSNN GreenPrint™...
Natural Pod™ LIVE – Episode 10 – Creating cultural change through student co-authorship of their learning environments
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,...
Being recognized as a New Innovator + Environmental Leader
Our work is not only to create high-quality, functional, beautiful and non-toxic learning furniture. But also to innovate within this space. To create new paradigms for how educational environments and experiences are thought about, and how those are tied to ethical...
Creating cultural change through student co-authorship of their learning environments
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....
Children of Color in Nature-Based Classrooms
A traditional education is not suitable for every student. Malcolm Drips, a precocious nine-year-old of mixed racial heritage, is one of those students. At 18 months of age, he was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For him, the...
Natural Pod™ LIVE – Episode 09 – Becoming a trailblazer for whole school transformation
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,...
A New Path Forward: Transforming Schools with equityXdesign
As schools reopen amidst COVID-19 and the chronic pandemic of white supremacy, the need to do so with equity at the forefront is greater now than ever before. The student–teacher relationship has transformed over the past year as educators upskilled to teach virtually...
Highlights of 2021 to inspire you in the New Year
The Natural Pod team has recently been gathering together online with the intention of reflecting on this past year. (We are an almost fully remote team so that's our normal regardless of the current state of the world). We've also been looking ahead to the next one...
The best of Natural Pod™ LIVE to inspire you in 2022
Although it's been a challenging year in multiple ways, the Natural Pod team has been constantly uplifted by the inspiring work and perseverance of our community. Earlier this year to amplify the voices of those committed to creating better learning environments,...
The GreenPrint™ – Discover a framework for whole school transformation
The Green Schools National Network (GSNN) has been doing tremendous work since 2007 in furthering the Green Schools movement. They have created a broad and energetic network of PreK-12 teachers, leaders, and professionals who learn from each other with the common goal...
We’re an Interior Design Best of Year Awards Finalist!
Woo hoo! We're delighted that our Christene Play Loft is an Interior Design Best of Year Awards Finalist! It's wonderful to be recognized for our sustainable play and learning furniture, and especially for our most unique and popular Play Loft, the Christene! Named in...
Natural Pod™ LIVE – Episode 08 – Pursuing passion to make an impact on learning
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...
Make sustainable and values-led decisions all year long
It's hard not to be aware of the selling and buying messages flying around at this time of year. They're a good reminder to try and make sustainable and values-led buying choices whenever possible, as the decisions we make today can impact ourselves, each other and...
Why Movement And Breathing Breaks Are Great For Learning
Now the new school year is in full swing, the comparative freedom of the summer may be a distance memory. A time when the majority of children probably weren't in the same place each day, hopefully they were outside more, naturally moving daily in a way that’s not...
Resources to support outdoor learning
With my upcoming webinar exploring a case study around indoor/outdoor learning studios, along with the increase in questions around the benefits of outdoor learning, I thought I'd collect some resources that may be of value to others looking into this subject. If you...
Learn how to gain stakeholder buy-in for new learning space projects
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 indoor/outdoor...
Learn key outcomes from this unique indoor/outdoor campus project
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 brought to you in...