About AAUW’s LearnScape Initiative

AAUW Preschool’s innovative LearnScape initiative is designed to foster young children’s love for learning alongside a lifelong respect for nature.  LearnScape includes the transformation of our traditional 1-acre playground space into an innovative nature-based outdoor classroom and creates opportunities for children to learn outside throughout their school day.

Area businesses, foundations, and individuals make LearnScape possible. Thanks to financial support and volunteer hours from people like you, exciting new elements have been added to the LearnScape outdoor classroom. These updates have included a cooperative water pump, construction rock quarry, outdoor music spaces, a mud kitchen, our featured climber the “Eagle’s Nest”, tricycle garage, and our “Pathway to Adventure” tricycle path, among others. Thank you!

We need your help!

Help us construct our next LearnScape element—a PLAY CABIN!
AAUW Preschool needs your help to raise $15,000 to construct the newest element in our LearnScape outdoor classroom- a play cabin!  Dramatic play outdoors is so important to children’s healthy development.  We envision children putting their imaginations to work in the play cabin.  Our vision has them engaged in many varied activities in the play cabin- family life, restaurant entrepreneurs, auto repair, medical care, and construction and much more.  We need your help to make this happen!

Sponsorship Options: Sponsors who give $1,000 or more receive recognition with a placard on the
new play cabin, along with recognition on social media, and more. (All donations are welcome and tax
deductible.)

Please select the amount you would like to donate to the LearnScape Initiative!

How does the LearnScape initiative foster learning?

At AAUW Preschool we believe the most vital classroom for children is the outdoors.

 Although research shows the benefits of connecting children with nature, too often today’s children and families have limited experience with the natural world. Through the LearnScape initiative, we seek to give children this essential experience. We have committed to creating an outdoor learning experience that fosters a love for learning alongside a lifelong respect for nature, people, and community.

Through the LearnScape initiative, area children learn outside throughout their school day through exploring science, and the arts in nature. LearnScape nurtures a sense of wonder, fosters opportunities to explore and celebrates discovery through:

  • Native plants and trees, gardening tools, a butterfly garden, and exploration zones to observe insects and animal life creating opportunities for children to engage with and learn from nature.
  • Water pump, sluice and cooperative construction rock quarry encouraging friendship-building skills through outdoor cooperative play.
  • Outdoor arts area and theater—spaces for children work to create artwork with natural materials.
  • Dedicated “nature nooks” for quiet time and book reading.
  • Inventor’s workshop and mud kitchen to encourage early math, science, and critical thinking skills.
  • Tricycle path, rock wall, sledding hill, and riding toys for children’s healthy physical development.
  • Sand pit, sensory path, and sensory garden for sensory exploration.
  • Vegetable garden to support healthy food choices and awareness of foods’ origins.

Thank you to the following donors!