At Starms Early Childhood Center we are committed to saving water, learning about the environment, and reducing our carbon footprint.
From creating classroom museums focused on conservation or environmental justice themes to exploring daily water use to learning on the schoolyard with the tools provided in the Outdoor Discovery Cart, environmental education is embedded in our everyday lives and curriculum.
In 2019, we completed a multi-year holistic schoolyard redevelopment project. The new schoolyard allows us to teach environmental themes, conservation, and cross-curricular lessons that emphasize careers. Through the project, we removed 12,200 square feet of asphalt and installed green infrastructure features that manage 42,430 gallons of stormwater per rain event.
We are incredibly proud of our flower and vegetable gardens on our grounds. These gardens consist of native plants, perennials, annuals, and different varieties of bulbs, which are tended to and explored by the children.