Space has the ability to provide a sense of community, well-being, and belonging to all the people – large and small – who enter it. Very young children are particularly influenced, either positively or negatively, by the environment around them – and even small improvements to a space can have a huge, positive impact.
One such program to take on this type of small enhancement was Over the Rainbow, located in Johnston, RI. On the first floor of the child care center two toddler rooms that did not maximize group size were divided by a wall, blocking a lot of natural light and unintentionally creating cramped classrooms. In an effort to open up the space and maximize access to natural light the wall was removed and once gone, had an immediately positive impact on the space.
The focus on making this small, incremental change not only brightens the space, changes the proportion, and increases the amount of square footage per child, it also supports and bolsters program quality.
