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The WorldWonder program, created in 2004 by Westminster educator Doug Heetderks, is an experiential learning component of the life sciences curriculum at Westminster Christian Elementary School. The hands-on program inspires learning through exploration and instills an appreciation for God’s creation by encouraging children to experience the thrill of touching, seeing, wondering and learning about the amazing world around them.
First housed in an outdoor chickee hut, today the WorldWonder program has grown to include the Discovery Barn, as well as a state-of-the art Nature Center and most recently an expansive Wild Acre. The lush Wild Acre is teeming with areas for students to explore and learn such as the Bamboo Forest, Timber Village, Aviary, and amphitheater, and also provides space for resident animals such as tortoises, dwarf goats, and macaws, and more. Learning about these animals, how to care for them, and how the ecosystem works together is a unique aspect of the WorldWonder program.
“There is so much to be learned by simply interacting with God’s creation,” said Heetderks.
“Students get excited by what they are learning and are self-motivated to discover and learn even more. It’s a privilege to guide them and open their eyes to so many possibilities.”
Under the direction of program director Mr. Doug Heetderks and his assistant Mrs. Sharon Carper, students can traverse the bamboo forest to arrive at chalets where they can gather with friends to discuss their latest findings, or they can climb to the top of timber village or banyan tree forest and let their imaginations run wild.
All of the facilities that make up the WorldWonder program provide indoor/outdoor learning environments for students from preschool through fifth grade. Like an on-campus field trip, Westminster art students will visit the Wild Acre to inspire their drawings of foliage or the cascading waterfall in the pond. Every discipline on campus can take advantage of these areas to expand the ways students learn and experience.
This signature outdoor science program is unique to Westminster and we are grateful to the generous donors from the Westminster community who support these innovations and make these programs possible for our students.
