The Pathfinder Academy is an alternative high school in conjunction with Portland Public Schools, they successfully help teen parents who have dropped out of high school to re-enter school and earn their GED. They have implemented the Pathfinder Academy: Building Health and Parent-Child Bonding Through Outdoor Play Project in order to teach teen parents healthy activities (which they themselves may not have experienced as children) and to support teens learning to interact positively with their children. At least 40 teen parents and their 40+ children will benefit from this project each year.
Michelle Mathis designed an outdoor education and play space that was nature based and fostered play between parents and children. Engaging in play together will help parents gain knowledge about child play and social development, increase stimulation and positive bonding with their children. The play and curriculum will foster a cultural change for the teens to begin engaging in physical activity with their children. The small site was designed to allow for a wide variety of imaginative and active play including; rainwater catchment, loose parts, a play water feature, slide, native planting, stage, fort building area, infant zones, and garden beds.
