An outdoor learning space has been developed for the students at PJ Gillen Elementary School in Esterhazy.
The classroom was designed by outdoor education expert Adam Bienenstock, founder of the social enterprise Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds and its sister company, OutClass Outdoor Classrooms.
“We’ve been designing, constructing and creating children’s outdoor learning environments for twenty years now and felt compelled to respond to the current Covid-19 crisis with an affordable solution for schools and centres around the world that ensures children and educators can learn and work in a safe environment,” says Bienenstock.
The outdoor classroom features all of the elements required to deliver education in a safe environment: portable blackboards for teaching; stable, natural seating and desk space that maintains distancing; curriculum and equipment storage; buffers between classes; shade and inclement weather protection – all can be delivered and set up in a single day. Outdoor classrooms are an ideal solution during the pandemic, naturally disinfecting overnight with natural materials in outdoor environments.
“Kids learn in different ways, and teachers need to adapt to accommodate them,” noted Dr. Sarah Croke, a biologist and educator. “This system respects the need for flexibility in its ability to reconfigure to meet our teaching style.”
In fact, optimal child development is best served in an outdoor classroom. Bullying and aggressive behaviour rates drop, stress amongst teachers and students decreases, and academic outcomes improve across the board. Beyond controlling the spread of the virus, outdoor learning is shown to increase childrens’ attention spans, reduce bullying, and create an environment where children can learn better.
The timeline for the project included planning for three weeks. Production took three weeks and the installation was completed in November 2021 in a matter of days. They had a rendering of their vision done by a local artist that the company started from. Adam and the rest of Natural Playgrounds took this information, and consulted with PJ Gillen to propose a plan that would achieve their goals, be sustainable and comply with the CSA playground standards.
Principal Kelsey Shields, and Patrick Morrison from Good Spirit School Division Facilities Branch, along with the Vice Principal Wanita Lippai and Traci Denbrok from the Parent Council helped tremendously. The vision was a group effort, but these were the contacts Adam was most involved with.
Sustainability is very important to the construction company, as well as not changing the drainage footprint of the site. This allowed Patrick from Facilities to approve the project quickly. The construction company used surface mounted solutions that allowed them to quickly set up an outdoor classroom that facilitates physical distancing without major site disruption. The system provides PJ Gillen with the option to move the classroom into a tighter configuration when physical distancing is no longer required. The use of natural materials was critical not only for Covid spread mitigation, but to provide opportunities for optimal child development through sensory engagement in their space. The surface mounted solutions the company ended up using, allowed them to focus on the play value and not require money to be spent on excavation and concrete footings; this allowed them to get more features into their space for less money.
The outdoor learning space included an outdoor classroom with 25 student stations, a teacher station and outdoor double sided chalkboards. Also, a gardening area with raised planters and tables made from logs and a large spiral bench that wraps around the largest tree on the property. Also, there are planting pockets for the school’s programming needs. A sand area was created from vertical and horizontal log borders to provide places for seating, balancing and exploration. This area includes some loose parts to help with unstructured free play opportunities for the younger students at PJ Gillen.
Natural Playgrounds, founded by Adam Bienenstock and its sister company, OutClass Outdoor Classrooms developed the project and had this to say.
“Our company was founded to help scale the movement to connect children to nature by building the park and playground precedents that allow access to real, authentic nature wherever children work, learn or play.”
Bienenstock added, “We are a social entrepreneurship that can never veer from our values of sustainability, biodiversity, and improving the mental and physical health of children and communities through play. Our company has four clear divisions. Education and Advocacy, Design, Manufacturing, and Installation. Our people range from master carvers to Registered Early Childhood Educators, Planners, Designers, Occupational Therapists, Arborists and Horticulturists. We work together to deliver built environments that support outdoor learning and play around the world. We are focussed on our work across Canada and the US but have projects at various stages in New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Qatar, and Indonesia.”
For those looking to learn more, Adam mentioned, “In this crazy year, it has been an honour to collaborate with teachers across the country to develop and deliver our outdoor classrooms coast to coast (outdoorclassrooms.com).”
Schools across Canada and the US are embracing outdoor learning in the era of COVID-19 with new outdoor classrooms. The new outdoor spaces are built from reclaimed wood logs fashioned into desks and seating for students and educators in a setting that facilitates a connection with the natural world while allowing for safe social distancing.
The administration of PJ Gillen was reached for comment but did not return any information prior to the time of publication.
All of the following photos were taken in the PJ Gillen outdoor classroom.
