SVI Alum, Bridgitte Alomes, Founder of Natural Pod announces FSC certified classrooms. Check out the press release below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2011 

NATURAL POD CELEBRATES FSC® FRIDAY WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF FSC CERTIFIED CLASSROOMS

Natural Pod Commits to FSC Certification to Improve Early Childhood Education

Vancouver, BC – September 30 marks FSC Friday 2011, a day dedicated to the celebration of forests and the promotion of responsible forest management. To mark this significant occasion, Natural Pod is pleased to announce their commitment to the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) and the incorporation of FSC certified products into the classrooms and environments they are involved in. In the past 12 months, working within the FSC’s certification process, Natural Pod has made major impacts to numerous BC public kindergartens, schools and early childcare environments. For example, the simple transition from old-style school desks to Natural Pod’s communal classroom tables means that kindergartners in Vancouver, Coquitlam, on the Sunshine Coast and in Maple Ridge are no longer learning “face-forward, in-a-row” but are now engaged in conversation, and in working and playing together.

“By working with the FSC to ensure the inner furnishings of daycares and classrooms that we work on throughout BC are FSC certified, Natural Pod is providing students with less toxic, more environmentally-friendly and creative learning environments,” said Natural Pod Founder, Bridgitte Alomes.

The wood, manufacturing process, and retailing of Natural Pod’s entire line of classroom furnishings and manipulatives, are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This allows for traceability from the day the tree is responsibly harvested to the day your child sits with his or her friends at the large community-sized classroom table.

One example of a learning environment that Natural Pod transformed is Kinder Kampus. Kinder Kampus has five daycare locations throughout the Lower Mainland. In May 2011, Natural Pod was approached to fully outfit two Kinder Kampus locations with its extensive line of locally made FSC certified classroom tables, benches, shelves, playstands, play lofts, rocking boats, kitchens and more. A further three centres were equipped with various pieces of furniture, and all five received Natural Pod’s array of open-ended toys and manipulatives.

Natural Pod is a Canadian, locally-owned and operated business with a singular commitment to the design and manufacturing of toys and play environments that support creative and imaginative open-ended play. In the past two years, Natural Pod served over 10,000 children in over 300 schools and daycare settings. Natural Pod is certified under Ecotrust Canada’s FSC® Chain of Custody Group (FSC® C012237).

Media Inquiries:
Bridgitte Alomes
Phone: 604.630.1619
Email: bridgitte@naturalpod.com