Preschool students relish the outdoor learning environment at San Antonio’s Zoo School
Less than a mile from the San Antonio Zoo stands a children’s learning oasis where “nature becomes the teacher.”
The Will Smith Zoo School is a private preschool for children ages 3-5 that was established by the San Antonio Zoo in 2004 to build on the menagerie’s two pillars: conservation and education. The Zoo School has 10 classrooms, seven “outdoor learning environments” and currently serves about 220 children. Its unique approach earned the school a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification for its sustainable construction.
“The site is unique in the sense that it brings nature to the site, versus us necessarily having to go to nature, which is different than everywhere else,” said school director Zachary Stingl as he walked through Mimi’s Front Porch, one of the outdoor learning environments best suited for mud play.
