Dominic Matula, age 5 along side his father decided to go bottle picking in order to raise money for an outdoor learning space at Mother Teresa Early Childhood and Education Centre.
Matula says that he collected bottles at his father, Michael Matula’s work and aunt’s house before bringing them to the bottle depot.
“It’s cause I knew they needed money for the outdoor learning space. It might take a long time so I gave them the money.”
The project has raised a little over $5,000 with $6,000 more to go before they can apply for grants to support the $50,000 learning space. Matula has raised $277.40 of the total funds on his own. Michael says that he is so proud of his son and his generosity.
“He’s excited. He comes home from school and wants to go bottle picking. A little bit of work and a little bit of effort put forth goes a long way. We weren’t looking for this type of attention and all this, we’re just trying to help the cause.”
The outdoor learning space is still in the fundraising phase, but the plans include a truck area, musical wall and a pumpkin patch. Michael says that he wants his son to have the opportunity to use the outdoor learning space while he’s still attending the school.
“Well they’re going to put a hill in the yard, where the kids can probably run up and down. There’s suppose to have a tipi, a rock climbing area. It’s proving that outdoor learning is more beneficial. Children and nature rather than cooped up in the class room.”
The school is still looking for support for the project through volunteering labour, donating materials and donating money.