Marian Medical Center was recently host to a ceremony at its Children’s Center to celebrate both the legacy of Jacob Knight—a pre-school student at the center who lost his life to cancer three years ago—and the completion of the Outdoor Educational Facility.
The facility, named “Jacob’s Garden” in dedication, features a creek bed and manual water pump, a garden area, a mud bog, a tree house, small planters for seasonal flowers and produce, and a play area with boulders.
At the ceremony, those who knew Jacob best remembered his love for the outdoors. Paula Van Galio, director of Marian’s Children’s Center, said Jacob showed great courage during his life, and the outdoor classroom is the perfect tribute to him.
“He showed us a lot about how to live your life even though it’s short,” Van Galio said.
She said Jacob’s curiosity and genuine interest in nature will serve as an inspiration to current and future generations of children who use the outdoor classroom. Any activity done indoors at the center—such as coloring—can be adapted for the outdoors.
The modern world runs on technology, and in order to understand issues such as environmentalism and recycling, children must become aware of the natural world by time spent outdoors, Van Galio explained.
Marian’s Children’s Center worked with the Outdoor Classroom Project, which aims to increase the amount of, and benefits derived from, outdoor play for children.
According to the Outdoor Classroom Project, outdoor play leads to increased physical activity, direct hands-on learning, peer interaction, and multiple aspects of cognitive development that can maximize a student’s learning experience.
With increased outdoor activity, problems plaguing children today—such as a preoccupation with electronic media, the spread of behavior-modifying drugs, lack of exercise, few safe places to play outside, and a lack of connection and interest in the natural world—can be addressed and possibly reversed.
Outdoor classrooms should also contain an element of risk, like boulders to hop across, to foster brave children, Van Galio said.
“It’s so important for children to feel brave,” Van Galio said. “They aren’t daunted by something difficult, and they will know they can overcome any obstacle.”
Eric Nelson, director of the Outdoor Classroom Project, awarded the Marian Children’s Center with a “recognized center” certified designation.
“This is a real milestone in the evolution of the outdoor classroom projects in North County,” Nelson said.
The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of a memorial plaque for Jacob on the largest boulder. Jacob’s family and two of his best friends, Kendall Diaz and Miranda Mejia, also released butterflies into the garden.
For more information on the Outdoor Classroom Project in Santa Barbara County, visit orfaleafoundations.org.
This School Scene was compiled by Intern Sarah Parr. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Apr 21-28, 2011.
