Project Profile: North Tampa Christian Academy

We first had the joy of connecting with North Tampa Christian Academy when the firm Fielding International – an interdisciplinary team of architects and educators, who partner with school organizations to design learning spaces and experiences, including the built environment of the Academy – reached out to us to outfit their learning spaces and classrooms.

Please view the beautiful video below to see the completed learning environments inside the Academy, and how Natural Pod learning furniture is being utilized by the students and educators to support their teaching and learning objectives.

North Tampa Christian Academy is a private school in Wesley Chapel, Florida, serving preschool through grade 12. They follow a child-centered model providing an immersive on-campus experience that encourages innovation through project-based learning and an engaging thematic structure. The leadership team desired to design a learning environment that both reflected their values and encouraged creativity and innovative thinking. Natural Pod’s better learning environments do exactly that, which is why we were the first choice to outfit the new classrooms within the preschool and the older grades. Our range of beautiful, functional and interchangeable learning furniture can really support educators and students in the ways they teach and learn best, easily adapting to a given class or school’s teaching and learning approach and aims.

Natural Pod furniture contributes to learning environments that:

• inspire and support students in trusting their ideas and abilities;
• foster creativity and innovation; 
• put students at the center of their learning; and 
• give students and teachers a role in shaping their spaces collaboratively.

The community-based preschool, North Tampa Christian Explorers, is housed in a state of the art building offering flexible seating, indoor and outdoor learning environments, collaboration spaces, and hands-on activity rooms. The educators follow the Constructivist Approach, with children and educators “co-constructing” their own learning as they bring their unique life experiences to the classroom. From the design of their indoor and outdoor classrooms to the interactions and experiences that take place on their campus, everything they do is intentional, reflecting their beliefs about the ways in which children learn best and honoring the child as a uniquely created individual.

The Academy’s child-centered approach continues through the grade years.

“Much like the varied patterns of children’s growth in the early years, our approach is fluid, constantly being modified based on our observations of our students, the world around us and best practice. Our carefully selected philosophies and curriculum guide us as we create the ideal context for each child’s emotional, physical, spiritual and mental growth. Each child is given the support needed to progress and grow in a developmentally-appropriate fashion.” – North Tampa Christian Academy

The team at Natural Pod were delighted to create environments that really supported the Academy’s values, philosophies and curriculum. The beautifully created video below will give you a sense of the wonderful learning spaces and how our furniture is being utilized to support their teaching and learning objectives.