Students Go For The Green & Play To Learn

MIAMI (CBS4) – On any given day, children of all ages are playing happily at Miami's ReThink and ReUse Resource and Training Center. Children play with bubble wrap, bottles, buttons and all things reusable as a way to learning through play.

"We don't always need to go buy something to make something," said Jaleh Samway Bast, who is parent and also a board member at the ReThink and ReUse Center.

The organization uses reusable resources to teach children through play.

"It's hands on," said Michele Rosen, executive director of the ReThink and ReUse Resource and Training Center. "How do you learn but hands on?"

The organization offers workshops for teachers, kids, non-profits and schools on how to educate with reusable materials.

"I just picked up two caps with different sizes," said Rosen. "These can be used for math and they can be used for literacy."

The classroom is full of clean, reused fabric, papers, foam shapes, wood and much more. Research has proven the play process is exceptionally powerful in stimulation of learning. One of the most effective ways to spark brain growth is through hands-on experiences using materials with no pre-determined use, according to the ReThink and ReUse Center web site.

The center takes donations of reusable materials from local businesses and individuals. Workshops are led by the Early Childhood Resource Specialists in English and Spanish. Field trips to the ReThink and ReUse Center are also available.

For information on the ReThink and ReUse Center you can log onto their website site at www.rethinkandreusemiami.org