UPPER CANADA DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
From Crayons to Construction: Kindergarten Creativity Meets Secondary Skills

A unique partnership between Thousand Islands Secondary School (TISS) and Lyn Public School is reshaping what it means to learn with purpose. In a powerful demonstration of creativity, innovation, and Real-World Learning (RWL), secondary and kindergarten students teamed up to design and build outdoor learning features that will support play, exploration, and early education for years to come.

Led by TISS Construction Technology Teacher Kevin Dowling and Lyn PS Kindergarten educators Mariah Gallacher and Amie Roy, the initiative paired secondary trades students with kindergarten learners to transform the outdoor environment at Lyn PS based on the younger students' ideas and learning goals.

Kindergarten students proposed improvements such as a gazebo stage and a play structure bus. They captured their ideas in blueprints, which they shared during a first visit with the secondary students. The secondary students analyzed the plans and developed an action plan based on that input. The project supported a wide range of learning goals, including design, project management, sustainability, and creative expression.

On May 13, TISS students returned to Lyn PS to install a new outdoor classroom space, stage, mud kitchen, and a custom-built wooden school bus each feature inspired by the kindergarteners' original ideas.

"This project brought student voice to life in a truly authentic way," says Jacqueline Hoogwerf, UCDSB Learning Partner who supported the initiative. "Kindergarten students were deeply involved in the design process, and the older students responded with empathy, creativity, and problem-solving skills. It was a reciprocal learning experience that empowered both age groups."

Grade 10 TISS student Seth Adolph shared how the project helped him form a meaningful bond with one of the kindergarten students. "Hamish and I just clicked. He asked me to babysit him and now I do. I even went to his birthday party. I guess I've become like an older brother to him," he said. "It's important to be a role model to help younger kids stay on the right path. It feels good to do something real that makes people smile."

Dowling's construction students embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, applying real-world trade skills to solve problems, collaborate, and adapt designs to meet the needs of their young clients. Some even volunteered their time outside of school hours to ensure a successful installation.

The success of this initiative has sparked interest across the Upper Canada District School Board, with other schools exploring how to replicate the model.

"This initiative is a blueprint for what Real-World Learning can look like," adds Hoogwerf. "It's innovative, it's sustainable, and it's deeply human. When students are engaged in meaningful, purpose-driven work, they grow not only as learners but as citizens."

"This project engaged our students and brought their ideas to life in the most inspiring way," says Marnie Lindsay, Principal of Lyn Public School. "Watching our kindergarten learners collaborate with older students and then seeing their shared ideas come to life was a powerful and unforgettable experience for everyone involved."