From classroom sketches to childcare spaces: Student project becomes a real-world blueprint

Allison Russell (with book) is a passionate believer in the value of outdoor learning.

When early childhood education students from the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) first toured a half-built childcare centre in steel-toed boots, it felt like just another class project. But for graduate Allison Russell, that assignment has quickly turned into a blueprint for her career.

Allison was one of several early childhood education students who had the opportunity to design indoor and outdoor learning spaces for Mission’s Kaleidoscope Childcare Centre, when it was still under construction last spring.

She took the lessons learned in that assignment and applied them to her postgraduation work at Stó:lō À:lmèlhàwtxw Early Education Centre in Chilliwack, creating a welcoming learning space in her new childcare centre.

“I have people coming through that work in the building that say they feel so good in here, and the space is so nice, and I feel like I owe a lot of that to the university assignment,” says Allison.

That project began when Mission Association for Community Living CEO Dawn Hein invited Dr. Sheryl McMath, director of UFV’s School of Education, to view the space while it was still under construction.

Sheryl brought it to instructor Kylee Cox, who saw the potential for a great learning experience. Students were given the Kaleidoscope floorplan and challenged to design indoor/outdoor childcare/preschool spaces suitable for children ages 3-5. But first, they donned steel-toed boots and hard hats and toured the space.

“That brought us a lot of clarity,” Allison notes . “We knew we had to go back to the drawing board on one thing, but another would work well. It gave us some ideas for the elements that we wanted to showcase.”

Allison partnered with Kyrah Dick, and together they created indoor and outdoor plans that reflected a passionate belief in child-centred learning opportunities.

For a class project, Kyrah Dick (left) and Allison Russell (right) designed indoor and outdoor learning spaces for Mission’s recently-opened Kaleidoscope Childcare Centre.

“If the children aren’t engaged, if it doesn’t matter to them, they’re not going to learn,” Allison adds. “That’s why outdoor play is super important to me, just being outside jumping in puddles. The kids might get wet, but they’ll dry off, and they’ll have a lot of fun learning.”

Kylee agrees, sharing that the university is getting early education students outdoors more often, fostering holistic learning and connections with nature because it connects to the BC Early Learning Framework.

Certain components had to be in the design, such as an eating area, a calm space, and a reading corner. But the assignment left plenty of room for creativity.

“One of the students created a music corner outside, and along the whole fence they created this beautiful music design including pots and pans and recycled materials,” Kylee says. “Kaleidoscope backs onto a forest and bears have been known to tromp through, so the idea was to scare bears away while also having the opportunity to make music.

“It was an idea that’s playful and encourages learning while also being practical.”

Above all, Allison and Kyrah looked for a design that made children feel valued, included, supported, empowered, and confident.

“And safe, physically and emotionally,” Allison emphasizes.

Kylee says many students also thoughtfully considered neurodiversity and the needs of children with diverse learning abilities.

“One of the students integrated a room for children to move their bodies and regulate,” she explained. “Dawn had a large area set aside for that, but this student advocated for a smaller and quieter calm space for a child to retreat to. I found that idea to be inclusive and considerate.”

Allison and Kyrah considered accessibility as well.

“We wanted to make sure our cubby room was going to be big enough for a wheelchair to maneuver around,” Allison says. “We thought about families too. What if mom, or dad, or a grandparent is in a wheelchair? How do we serve everyone who visits and not just the children?”

When their designs were finished, the students made seven-minute presentations to a Kaleidoscope manager. One of them created an actual model while another created their design within The Sims video game.

Allison said she had a lot of fun presenting her design, and she reflected on the assignment often as she created her space in the À:lmèlhàwtxw Early Education Centre.

“All of my goals and the things I worked on at UFV are coming to life in this space,” she said. “I learned a lot about what works and doesn’t work, and what elements are needed to best serve children, and a lot of that has come to fruition here.”

Kylee loves to hear it and hopes the collaboration between Kaleidoscope and UFV strengthens a connection that could benefit students like Allison for years to come.

“It’s a long-term dream for us to have this connection, especially now that the UFV School of Education is in Mission,” she says. “Having this space a few minutes down the road is great for our students, who will have opportunities to observe children and maybe do their practicums there. It’s been a wonderful collaborative experience.”