GIVING BACK

153

Number of Seneca employees who made a payroll deduction donation in 2016-17.

“Friends” with a shared love of learning in the great outdoors

King Campus Forest School

THE KING OBSERVATION LABORATORY Teaching School, or “KOLTS,” is set against a breathtaking backdrop of meadows, forests and wetlands in the heart of the Oak Ridges Moraine at King Campus. KOLTS is home to students in the Early Childhood Education diploma and bachelor’s degree programs and provides them the opportunity to teach toddlers and preschoolers in a “forest school” setting. Programming at the forest school focuses on land stewardship and appreciation for the great outdoors.

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation recently recognized the importance of this program with a donation to support infrastructure and curriculum development.

“We are thrilled to support this endeavour through our TD Common Ground initiative,” says Carolyn Scotchmer, Acting Executive Director of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. “Green spaces are where communities come together to meet, talk and play and where people find common ground and connect.”

With the funding, KOLTS will revitalize its playground into natural and sustainable “playscapes,” where children can run, bike and explore nature. Community garden beds of fruits and vegetables will illustrate the growth cycle of food, while inspiring healthy eating at an early age. The new additions will be constructed by Environment Landscape Management students.

“When children play in nature, something magical occurs,” says Fran DeFilippis, Professor, Seneca’s School of Early Childhood Education. “Resiliency capacity and self-regulation increases; vital physical attributes such as coordination, balance and agility improve and risk taking is encouraged.”

The funding will also support the development of programming at the forest school, where children and Seneca students spend time in the forest terrain as part of their learning experiences. The children at KOLTS are encouraged to engage in activities, such as balancing on logs, climbing trees, studying animals and observing local fauna.

The forest school model moves away from a traditional classroom to a barrier-free environment that promotes community-building skills, such as problem solving, negotiation and emotional support. Through repeated exposure to the forest, children discover, explore and build intimate connections with the land that leads to their understanding of environmental stewardship.

“At TD, our goal is to make a lasting impact through our contributions,” says Carolyn. “We know this revitalization project will serve to enrich each child’s experience at KOLTS, providing them with enhanced care, education and environmental knowledge.”

This is not the first time TD Bank Financial Group has supported King Campus. In 2016, TD provided support for the capital funding for the infrastructure expansion at King Campus, now known as Magna Hall.

KOLTS provides a safe, engaging learning environment for kids across York Region.