Creating Landscapes

Mission

Creating Landscapes mission is to create, facilitate and nurture intergenerational, interdisciplinary, and holistic learning experiences/programs/communities that cultivate in learners greater capacity for critical thinking, imaginative expression, aesthetic awareness and collaborative enterprise. 

Profile

Creating Landscapes is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation which brings together a group of inter-related educational programs designed to enlarge an individual's ability to make informed choices, experience good health, and integrates thinking with feeling.  Our distinctive approach to learning and teaching has evolved to include inter-related educational venues; Creating Landscapes for Families, Food 4 Thought, and the Creating Landscapes for Families Early Learning Center.

Creating Landscapes operates four venues: 

• Creating Landscapes for Families - Since its beginning in 2008, the mission of Creating Landscapes for Families has always been to bring families together to experience the joy of working together while working toward a shared vision.  The venue includes the Families After-School and Family Dinner program where, twice a week children are supported in their school work and families come together to prepare and enjoy hot, healthy dinners.  There are currently two Community Gardens, which have provided beautiful gathering places for neighbors to share vegetables, ideas, and life stories. (http://creatinglandscapes.org/families)
   
• Food4Thought - Food 4 Thought is a forum to nurture grassroots engagement and ACTION toward a well-fed, well-educated and resilient community.  Our collaborations permit us to connect with one another, learn from each other, and reach a broader audience within the community. Food 4 Thought’s objectives are to reduce stressors, build strengths and encourage connections.
  
  To date our actions have been focused on three entities:
  • Film 4 Thought provides community and family engagement around films that grow thoughtful conversations in an accessible and pro-social atmosphere. ()
  • Walkable Meadville is working to create safe and accessible pathways through the community. 
  • Grow Meadville is a network of Community Gardens that promote growing food and bringing together community members of all ages.

• Creating Landscapes for Families Early Learning Center - The Creating Landscapes for Families Early Learning Center is a high quality preschool with wrap-around care, which recognizes the importance of building a strong foundation from which the child can grow up feeling supported and secure.  Having achieved the highest rating of 4 Stars from Keystone STAR, and partially funded through a Pennsylvania Department of Education Pre-K Counts grant, the Early Learning Center cultivates acceptance, kindness, love, connection, exploration, joy and respect as we care for and guide the whole child to create a strong foundation.  The young child’s natural love for learning, desire for independence, need for expression, drive to explore and deep longing for connection to others, environment and themselves are all qualities nurtured by the staff.  The curriculum is based on exploration of the arts, nature, social-emotional intelligence, anti-bias multiculturalism, honoring diversity and supporting family. (https://www.creatinglandscapes.org/preschool/index.html)

Additionally, we provide the following affiliated programs through a partnership with Allegheny College:

• Summer Landscapes - The Creating Landscapes Summer Program is a community of intergenerational learners in the arts and mathematics. Our program of serious play is theme-based and focused toward forming questions, making connections, and finding expression. (http://creatinglandscapes.org/summer)
• Aesthetic Education for Educators - Aesthetic awareness quickens thought, and lights up the imagination. (http://creatinglandscapes.org/educators)
• Middle & High School Enrichment Collaborations - Gifted/Talented Enrichment - An opportunity for middle and high school students to engage large ideas, critical thinking & imaginative expression. (http://creatinglandscapes.org/gifted)
• Adult Learning Force - Intergenerational courses offered to the community through Allegheny College.