Project Report
| Jul 19, 2024
The Way Appears
By Ernesto Rodriguez | Executive Director
The 13th century poet Rumi wrote, "When you start to walk on the way, the way appears". Since our last report, we have planted ceilings in four more school districts in California, Utah and Pennsylvania. Bringing the total number of school districts to 14, and the ceilings serving about 8,000 students. Nature In The Classroom has also been in the news and on social media. In case you missed it, the comedian DudeDad.com did a video where he installs one of our ceilings. You can watch it on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NatureInTheClassroom. Nature In The Classroom was also featured in Fortune Crowns Magazine and NiceNews.com. You can read both of the articles on our website's media section: https://www.natureintheclassroom.org/media--articles.html.
Your generous gift has helped "the way" to appear. Rotary International has invited me to speak and present our project. As we gain national attention it will help us help more students. The pandemic has left 25% of students with anxiety. Which is not showing any signs of going away. The ceilings have been key in helping students manage anxiety and stay calm in class. Teachers are very grateful and continue to express how the trees enhance learning in their classrooms.
Thamk you so much for helping us "start to walk on the way".
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Mar 25, 2024
Nature In The Classroom Is Being Recognized
By Ernesto Rodriguez | Executive Director
![NiceNews.com Summary of CBS News article]()
NiceNews.com Summary of CBS News article
As Spring rolls in and nature begins to blossom, so are our classroom tree ceilings. CBS News and Upworthy Magzaine have featured Nature In The Classroom. The articles, (links below), present well rounded stories about our project. NiceNews.com eloquently summarized our endeavor that you helped put on this path: “As a former school psychologist, Ernesto Rodriguez understands how important mental and emotional well-being are for a child’s education - and as a passionate landscape photographer, he understands even better the role greenery can play in improving that well-being. With his nonprofit, Nature In The Classroom, Rodriguez combines his areas of expertise, creating stunning ceiling murals of tree canopies for school classrooms that don’t have any windows. And students are giving the installations a thumbs-up: “I would say that it’s pretty great and beautiful,” one fifth grader told CBS News of being able to look up at the leaves as he’s learning."
But this is only half of the exposure that we are getting. The Drew Barrymore Show will feature us on June 10. The Conspiracy of Goodness podcast will feature an artricle and a podcast episode that will air that second week of June. Check out the articles in the links below. None of this would have been possible without your generous early support to put us on this path! For that I am forever grateful and cannot say thank you enough!!
Ernesto
Links:
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Dec 4, 2023
Tree Ceilings are Spreading Their Seeds
By Ernesto Rodriguez | Executive Director
Thanks to your support and generous donation our tree ceiling community is continuing to blossom. Since our last report this summer two more school districts have joined our community. An orchard is beginning to form. Ceilings were installed in Cathedral City and Santa Ana School districts in 5th grade classrooms. Here is what students were saying: "When I look up it makes me feel calm and happy." "When I look up, I see nature and it makes me energized." "I like the branches. It's like roads to a great journey." "It helps me feel calm and focused."
The teacher in Santa Ana offered this observation. "The ceiling inspired a big wave of change in the classroom. Since it went up, my room has underonge a transformation. It led me to make more additions to my classroom to simulate a more naural environment. The entrance to the classroom is arched with vines and flowers, and the students helped me make bushes and trees for the walls. They all seem more relaxed and happier. The sense of community in the classroom has also grown"
The last two installations bring the number of school districts where ceilings are installed to 10. The momentum is growing. Last, my biggest piece of news to share is that CBS News "The Uplift" has featured our project. They documented and interviewed 5th graders in Santa Ana coming in and seeing their ceiling for the first time. The segment will air in January. It will stream online at https://www.cbsnews.com/uplift/ Keep an eye out for it. Thanks again for putting us on this road!
Ernie
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