We were happy to support Children’s Institute (CII), a nonprofit organization that provides early education, behavioral health, and family strengthening services to children and families impacted by poverty and trauma in Los Angeles.

After visiting the Western Head Start Center for the first time and speaking with their teachers, our team was inspired to help transform their outdoor spaces. The goal was to turn drab walls and plain pavement into vibrant and interactive artwork that encourages play and learning.

With a staff of 500+ professionals at Age of Learning who are passionate about early education, it was not hard to find a large group eager to work on this project. We called on our 80 artists and designers to submit mural concepts for CII’s largest wall to bring color and joy to the space. The winning concept, chosen from the six diverse concepts submitted, is a celebration of the vibrant neighborhood surrounding the center and allows students to see themselves represented in the scene.

Martine Singer, CII’s President & CEO, said an environment that inspires creativity and learning is important to children in early education programs.

“The team at Age of Learning did an amazing job painting the mural and interactive games,” Singer said. “We are so grateful to the team of volunteers for creating such a beautiful space for our kids to learn and play.”

More than 50 of our staff members from all departments, plus family members, arrived at the Head Start site and spent the full day bringing the mural concept to life. In addition, we also painted interactive games, such as hopscotch, put up new signage, and donated games for the playground. To see each step of the process including some “before” and “after” photos click on over to our album here.

“This was such an amazing experience! Not only was this an opportunity to give back to the kids in the community, but it gave me a new appreciation for our company’s efforts to contribute in notable and worthwhile ways,” said Jennifer Enoex, an Age of Learning staff member. “Words can’t describe how fulfilling this was for me, and I’m happy to have taken part in this project with fellow coworkers.”

Our team truly enjoyed contributing our time to this cause, bonding with our colleagues, and feeling connected to the community. We will continue to partner with CII and other nonprofit organizations serving children throughout Los Angeles.

The post Age of Learning Volunteers Help Head Start Center Shine  first appeared on Age of Learning.

In February, we held a friendly internal “competition” where we asked Age of Learning staff to form teams and submit design concepts for these two beautification projects. Our talented designers and visual artists came up with six creative, original mural concepts to delight the students, and three teachers’ lounge proposals, which we shared with the school to vote on.

According to Western Ave.’s principal, Dr. Shilby Sims, selecting a single favorite for each project was difficult because of the quality of the submissions. Writing to thank us, she expressed that they were, “Simply amazing! Thank you all so much for caring for us and for our students in this profound way. I’m so moved and grateful. I’m not sure how we’re supposed to pick! The talent is insane!”

After the winning design concepts were chosen, more than 70 staff members from all departments, plus family members, arrived at the school to bring the concepts to life. We truly enjoyed contributing our time to this cause, bonding with our colleagues, and feeling connected to the community.

The post Age of Learning’s First Staff Volunteer Day Helps Transform Local Elementary School first appeared on Age of Learning.