Creating a Natural & Sustainable Learning Playground & Native Garden Planting with Legrand

In partnership with Legrand, North and Central America's Better Communities employee volunteer program, Van Duyn Elementary School is designing and implementing a sustainable, natural learning playground to accommodate the needs of our youngest learners grades Pre-K - 2. This playground will be an extension of the classroom; an eco-friendly environment, using primarily natural and recycled materials including replicas of classroom sensory, art and science materials as well as a native plant teaching garden. This project will make a difference to the PK-Grade 2 students and community at large because it will be a learning environment with a purpose. It will be classroom learning come to life in the natural surroundings of the outdoors paired with materials that have been re-purposed to provide hands-on learning and real life challenges and problem-solving. This project was funded with the help of Legrand employee donations. Please see more here: https://www.donorschoose.org/SustainablePlaygroundVDES?projects=true

As part of Legrand's Better Schools focus and alignment with the Center for Green School's mission, this first of many Green Apple Days of Service for this project will involve Legrand employees, community volunteers, and Van Duyn Elementary School students preparing and planting the native garden component of this project. We hope to also have an interpretive session with the students, teaching them about the local ecosystems, plants in the garden, and why they were specifically chosen.

Intended impact of project

Reduced environmental impact
Improved occupant health & performance
Increased environmental & sustainability literacy