Partners In Learning News Service

SALISBURY — Partners In Learning, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to advancing education and fostering positive learning environments for all children, just announced the receipt of a $300,000 grant from the Leon Levine Foundation. 

The grant will play a pivotal role in supporting Partners In Learning’s outdoor-learning environment with handicap-accessible walking trails across the three acres of natural-learning space.

The outdoor-learning space will also have a chicken coop, greenhouse, sensory gardens, excavation exploration sand pit and an outdoor classroom. The foundation’s commitment to philanthropy aligns with Partners In Learning’s dedication to fostering a love for learning and ensuring that every child has access to quality education.

Outdoor play is part of establishing a quality education for a child. The outdoors allows a child to explore the world around them. It also allows them to practice social and emotional regulation, problem-solving, turn-taking, safe risk-taking and opportunities to develop empathy and care for living things. 

“We have found that children enrolled in our outdoor classroom have significantly reduced classroom behavior associated with ADHD and trauma,” Executive Director Norma Honeycutt said. “The outdoors can be a place of healing and learning.”

Outdoor Exploration Specialist Krissy Weeks added, “I have seen the impact an outdoor inclusive classroom can have in early childhood education. I have children who were quiet and shy within the confines of a traditional classroom but are now confident and thriving when allowed to move and explore most of the day.

“I have children who receive therapy who are better able to self-regulate and manage their emotions after spending time every day outdoors. By adding running, messy play like our active mud kitchen, digging in the dirt, climbing and balancing on logs, and a variety of science and nature exploration to our free play every day, I have seen a marked improvement in the children’s balance, coordination, proprioception, and core strength as well as increasing vocabulary, comprehension, and cognitive skills. We have created something unique and beautiful, and these kids will continue to reap the benefits for years.” 

Partners In Learning has a longstanding reputation for its innovative programs and initiatives that benefit educators, students and families alike. The grant will be instrumental in expanding these efforts and driving positive change in education. In addition to completing the outdoor environment, it expects growth by at least 30 percent in developmental services, with the new facility providing additional opportunities to meet the community’s needs.

The benefits of high-quality care accrue to both the parent and the child and society. Those benefits include lower costs for later schooling, as children enter school better prepared to achieve; future reductions in crime as juvenile delinquency diminishes; increased productivity and lower need for social services as working parents face fewer child-related absences or terminations and remain more securely attached to the labor market. In addition, early intervention and mental health services can change a child’s developmental path and improve outcomes for children, families and communities. More than 500 children will receive early identification and intervention through comprehensive early education and clinical services. 

“We are deeply grateful to The Leon Levine Foundation for their generous support of our mission to transform education and inspire a lifelong love of learning,” Development Director Amy Vestal said. “This significant grant will enable us to enhance our programs, reach more students and educators, and make a lasting impact on the communities we serve.”