Tonka Trucks to move dirt

By Christine Rogers

ChildCareGroup, Dallas’ largest early childhood education provider, announced a $125,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to develop an Outdoor Learning Center at their Early Learning Center at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Fair Park.

Representatives from PNC and ChildCareGroup plus pre-K students will break ground by “bulldozing” the first dirt with Tonka Trucks at 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the MLK Center (2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas, TX 75215).

The new Outdoor Learning Center incorporates nature-based play as a best practice and powerful form of early childhood education taught inside ChildCareGroup’s classrooms. Outdoor classroom areas include a working riverbed, sensory stations, build and play areas and raised garden beds. These facilities aim to reinforce key domains of early learning, such as math, science, language, literacy, fine and gross motor skills and social-emotional learning. The environment is designed to foster among students an awareness, appreciation and harmony with nature.

“As a champion for high-quality early childhood education, PNC recognizes that outdoor learning can enhance motor skills development, curiosity and creativity in young children,” said Brendan McGuire, PNC regional president for North Texas. “We are excited about this new outdoor learning space and the opportunities it will provide – both for ChildCareGroup’s students to interact with their surroundings, and for teachers to incorporate hands-on nature experiences into their lesson plans.”

Recent PNC-funded research by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) showed that 49% of children ages 3-5 are playing outside less than once a day. A recent NIEER literature review also suggests that pre-K programs conducted in nature-based settings can promote better learning and development.

“Research shows time spent learning and playing in nature benefits the whole child and can help children reach their full potential. Access to safe, natural areas can enhance children’s physical and mental health and help build a foundation for a love of learning, especially in STEM fields,” said Tori Mannes, ChildCareGroup president and CEO. “We are so thankful to PNC for a gift that we know will pay dividends in the form of a well-educated, nature-loving future workforce.”

The PNC Foundation and ChildCareGroup share a long history of aiming to provide the highest quality early childhood education programming for Dallas County children in low-income zip codes. Funding of the new Outdoor Learning Center at ChildCareGroup stems from the 20th anniversary of PNC Grow Up Great®, a $500 million multi-year, bilingual initiative that helps prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.

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