Childcare Center Application for Complimentary Design Services

The Complimentary Design Services Awards have already been allocated for 2024 and 2025. Applications are now closed. Any applications received after July 8, 2024 will be considered for 2026.

 

The OLE! Texas initiative promotes the design of outdoor learning environments (OLEs) for childcare centers throughout the state as a means to increase physical activity, food awareness, and enhance education in more natural outdoor spaces. Childcare centers are invited to apply for complimentary design services by filling out the form below. Complimentary services are awarded on a limited basis. There are examples of previous designs provided to childcare centers on the Projects  page.

Selected centers will receive the following complimentary services:

A community presentation to educate parents, teachers, administrators, and community partners about OLEs

A collaborative workshop where a designer and the center work together to design the center's OLE

An illustrative master plan of the center's OLE

Ongoing technical support from the designer where the center can ask questions to clarify the process even after the design is provided to the center

The designer will help the center identify resources for building the OLE

The designer will help the center phase the construction of the OLE based on the center's financial and labor resources

***The design services do not include funding or labor to build the OLE.

 

If you see this don't fill out this input box.

*Do you agree to fulfill the following responsibilities to receive complimentary design services?

Yes

No

Required responsibilities for centers who are awarded complimentary OLE! Texas design services:

• Work collaboratively with OLE! Texas to adopt the OLE naturalization process
• Appoint a project team of three staff and designate a primary contact
• Organize and attend a public community presentation about the OLE! Texas initiative
• Participate in the project evaluation at scheduled intervals
• Serve as a demonstration site for other childcare centers to transfer best practices
• Commit to participate for two years, including the following activities:
  • Assist with the dissemination of a parent/staff survey
  • A site assessment visit
  • One-day Design Workshop
  • Identify funding for the building of the OLE
  • Action planning for incremental implementation of the plan
  • Scheduled site visits to assess progress with design implementation
  • Make phased improvements within two years of the workshop
  • Join the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAYEC) Early Childhood Education (ECE) Network

*Center Name:

*Center Street Address:

City:

State:

Zip Code:

*Contact Name and Title:

*Contact Phone:

*Contact Email:

*Number of Children Served:

*Number of Employees:

*Does your child care facility have an active parent group (similar to a PTA/PTO)?

*Does your child care facility participate in any of the following programs/initiatives? (check all that apply)

TWC Child Care Subsidy

CACFP

College Bound from Birth

Texas Rising Star

NAEYC

United Way Bright Beginnings

American Montessori Association

Head Start

None of the Above

*Does your center prepare food for snacks or meals in a approved, functional on-site kitchen?

Yes

No

*Do you operate on a year-round calendar?

Yes

No

*Will you own or lease your current space for at least 5 years into the future?

Yes

No

*Do you have authority, at a centralized level, to make permanent changes to the outdoor space?

Yes

No

*Do you commit to naturalizing the outdoor learning environment, including edible species?

Yes

No

*Do you commit to maintaining a vegetable and fruit garden on-site?

Yes

No

*Describe your interest in OLE! Texas, how your center's teachers and parents can support the project, community support resources you may have available, and any other information you feel is important (limit 200 words).

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