Project Report
| Nov 22, 2022
Tree Ceilings Create an Oasis of Calm
By Ernesto Rodriguez | Executive Director
Your donation has paved the way to putting tree ceilings in six school districts. Tree ceilings have become an oasis of calm and mental health support in the classroom. Results We’re Seeing: Last January, Nature In The Classroom installed a tree ceiling in the wellness room at Cesar Chavez Academy in Corona, CA. Positive behaviors were observed in students, like the case of an emotionally overwhelmed fifth-grader who calmed down almost instantly when she entered the wellness room. They witnessed this continued calming effect of the trees over several months and determined its effectiveness, leading to the decision to add tree ceilings to six classrooms. Your donation helped illustrate that this concept works!
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Jul 25, 2022
Where We're Headed
By Ernesto Rodriguez | Executive Director
Hi,
Your donation formed the foundation that has led us down this path. I am excited to announce that Nature In The Classroom has partnered with Dr. Richard Taylor and the University of Oregon. Dr. Taylor is the world's leading expert on the science of the effects of tree patterns. The Universtiy of Oregon (UO) has evealuated our catalog of tree canopies and found them to be life like. The scores they gave our catalog of tree murals is equal to seeing a real tree. This fall, in partnership wiht the Los Angeles Unified School Distrrict, UO will ddocument the impact of the tree ceilings in the classroom. I have had a sneak preview as to what the results will look like. I asked a kindergardner what she liked about having a tree ceiling in her classroom. She was sitting on her calves, straightened up, flipped her hair back and says to me, "It calms me up".
We would not be here were it not for your generous support that has helped us get down this path.
Thank You!!
Ernie
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Apr 8, 2022
Cesar Chavez Academy Adds Tree Ceilings to Classrooms
By Ernesto Rodriguez | Executive Director
![Cesar Chavez Before]()
Cesar Chavez Before
Nature In The Classroom installed an oak tree ceiling in Cesar Chavez Academy's Wellness Room in December. It is a place for students and teachers to decompress and experience calmness in a welcoming environment. After teachers and staff witnessed the immediate benefits to students under high-stress situations, they discovered the effects were so prolific, they invited us back to complete additional ceilings in classrooms.
We installed six ceilings last week in the middle school, so as students rotate through their schedule during their day, they will be in one or two classrooms that have tree ceilings. The response has been overwhelmingly positive bringiing out the joy of being back in the classroom to 500 middle schoolers and their teachers. Your support has made it possible to enrich the lives of these students, thier families and teachers.
Check out the classroom transformation in the before & after photos and time lapse installation video.
![Cesar Chavez After]()
Cesar Chavez After
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