DVAEYC and Smith Playground to Create an Urban Nature Preschool in Fairmount Park

Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse and the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC) are teaming up to create an Urban Nature Preschool in Fairmount Park. The school will be developed in the historic mansion at Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse, in the 3,000 square feet of underutilized space in the above-ground basement of the Playhouse.

What is a nature preschool?

“A nature preschool is a fully-licensed child care center where the children go outside every day to explore, learn, and play in a natural setting. Teachers facilitate the learning process based on the children’s curiosity in the natural world,” said Courtney Kupersmith, communications manager of Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse.

Philadelphia has another nature preschool, the Schuylkill Center Nature Preschool, located in Roxborough.

Studies show that kids who spend time in nature are less likely to get sick or be stressed, experience less symptoms of ADD, have greater language and collaboration skills, and are more likely to grow up to care about the environment and animals, according to Kupersmith.

Nature preschools are usually found in more rural or suburban areas, but the urban nature preschool at Smith will serve Strawberry Mansion and Mantua kids who might not get to experience nature on a regular basis.

“Given where it’s situated, it really became clear that a nature preschool would be the best use of the space, and would fit a real need in this community and in this city,”  said Sharon Easterling, the executive director of DVAEYC.

In addition, the preschool will serve as a demonstration site where early childhood educators are able to observe how it works and participate in professional development sessions so they can learn and replicate best practices, including how to incorporate nature experiences into their classrooms.

“DVAEYC hopes to provide professional development to 250 teachers annually, which could impact up to 5,000 kids in Philadelphia each year that would benefit from nature experiences that foster skills in math, science, vocabulary, and more,” Kupersmith said.

The goal is to have the Urban Nature Preschool up and running by 2017. Smith Playground will launch a capital campaign to fund the project in 2015. Currently, Smith Playground is running an Indiegogo campaign to help garner support for the project and defray the costs of the planning process. They’ve also recently received $25,000 grant from The Philadelphia Foundation.

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