By Jud Fisher, President/CEO, Ball Brothers Foundation—
MUNCIE, IN — Nearly 40 community leaders—including early childhood professionals, K–12 school administrators and teachers, nonprofit leaders, university representatives, and funders—joined Ball Brothers Foundation last month for a day-long Outdoor Learning Field Trip exploring innovative outdoor play and learning spaces across Delaware County.
The field trip highlighted how local schools and organizations are embracing outdoor play and nature-based education as tools for growth, creativity, and community vitality.
Stops on the tour included:
- Mitchell Early Childhood and Family Center & Wonder Woods (YMCA of Muncie) – Attendees visited the newly constructed four-acre early learning forest which features a treehouse, logs and hills for climbing, nature paths, “upside down” trees, outdoor classroom gathering spaces, and sensory gardens designed for children 0-5.
- Daleville Community Schools Outdoor Learning Lab – School leaders shared how the lab provides a space to integrate hands-on literacy, science, math and environmental education into the K–12 curriculum. Constructed entirely by teachers and volunteers, the lab has grown over the past decade to include an apple orchard, performance stage, tinker space, slides, fort, swings, produce gardens, and more.
- Camp Adventure (Muncie Community Schools) – Participants toured this 40-acre outdoor education site which features a fishing pond, creek, winding trails, ropes courses, woods, and classrooms used by MCS along with other area schools. The group also visited MCS’ new Forest Academy, a Montessori program for Pre-K and Kindergarten students that opened in August.
- Dutro-Ernst Woods (Red-tail Land Conservancy) – The group explored “Stick City”—a nature playground created by preserve visitors—and learned how Red-tail uses natural spaces and educational programming to inspire creativity, exploration, and environmental stewardship among children and families.
- Ball State University Environmental Education Center (Nature Lab) & Christy Woods – The day concluded with a visit to BSU’s “Nature Lab” (adjacent to the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse) and Christy Woods. Participants learned how the lab has become a popular field trip destination for children and families while offering opportunities to college students alike. The lab features an indoor beehive, turtles and other animals, adventure backpacks for exploring the woods, nature-inspired crafts, and more.
Ball Brothers Foundation has been a champion of outdoor play and learning for decades. While the foundation formally launched its Outdoor Pursuits Initiative in 2012, with more than $8 million invested to date, its focus in this area builds on a legacy of giving that stretches back to the foundation’s first decades of grantmaking in the early 20th century.
“Outdoor play is not just recreation—it’s a key building block for healthy development, strong schools, and vibrant communities,” said Jud Fisher, President & CEO of Ball Brothers Foundation. “When children engage with nature, they build resilience, creativity, problem-solving skills, and a lifelong appreciation for the world around them. These skills are the foundation of a strong workforce and a thriving economy. Our hope is that Delaware County can increasingly be seen as a model community for outdoor learning and play.”
To recognize the time and expertise of each site host—and to support ongoing efforts—Ball Brothers Foundation awarded $3,000 Rapid Grants to each host site.
About Ball Brothers Foundation
Ball Brothers Foundation is one of the state’s oldest and largest family foundations. Annually, the foundation pays out more than $8 million in grants to support arts and culture, education, the environment, health, human services, and public/society benefit. The Muncie-based private foundation gives priority to projects and programs that improve the quality of life in the foundation’s home city, county, and state.
