It starts with a bounce.
A small child steadies themselves on a brightly colored mini trampoline, knees slightly wobbly, a mix of anticipation and excitement written across their face. With a tiny leap, they begin a rhythmic motion—up, down, up again—and suddenly, they’re not just playing. They’re learning. They’re building strength, balance, and body awareness. They’re discovering what it means to move with intention, to respond to the world around them.

Across the room, another group of children gathers around a set of wooden ramps and sensory balls of different shapes and textures. They take turns—rolling, adjusting, experimenting—watching closely as one ball races down, while another takes its time. A teacher nearby asks, “Why do you think that one went faster?” Tiny minds start whirring. Hypotheses form. They try again. They test their ideas, compare results, and adapt.

This is more than playtime. This is STEM in action, at the earliest and most essential stage of learning.

At the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation, we recognize that early childhood is the most formative period in a student’s academic and emotional development. The years between ages 3 and 5 are a time of immense brain growth, where children begin to form the habits of curiosity, problem-solving, collaboration, and resilience—skills that are foundational for future learning and life success.

That’s why MVEF made a strategic decision to fund the $1500 STEM and movement-based equipment grant for our Mini Marauders Play Time program—an innovative, play-based learning experience designed specifically for our 3- and 4-year-old students.

We knew this was more than just an investment in toys or playground supplies. We were investing in:

• Hands-on science experiences, like ramps, motion kits, and magnetic building tiles that encourage exploration of physics, gravity, balance, and force.
• Basic engineering principles, introduced through manipulatives that allow children to design, build, and modify structures.
• Mathematical thinking, through sorting, measuring, stacking, and spatial reasoning challenges embedded into free play.
• Gross and fine motor development, supported by movement equipment such as trampolines, balance boards, and sensory stepping stones that help children understand their bodies while enhancing physical coordination and self-regulation.
• Language and communication skills, nurtured through cooperative play and teacher-guided inquiry, where children are encouraged to ask questions, describe what they see, and express what they’re thinking.

Every item funded—whether it’s a ball that rolls, a tile that sticks, or a ramp that can be adjusted—has been chosen not just for fun, but for function: to cultivate inquiry, independence, and innovation.

And the best part? The children don’t see it as a lesson. They see it as play. But behind every laugh, every bounce, every puzzled look, and every high-five is a brain wiring itself for deeper learning.

We’ve seen the results:
Children more engaged.
More confident.
More curious.
More connected to their teachers, peers, and the learning environment.

The Mini Marauders Play Time program—enhanced by this new equipment—is creating equitable access to early STEM learning and social-emotional growth for all young learners, regardless of background. It’s helping children enter kindergarten not only ready to learn, but ready to lead.

This initiative also supports our community’s larger commitment to early learning, equity, and lifelong success. When we invest in the youngest members of our community, we’re building a pipeline of future innovators, problem-solvers, and change-makers—starting from age three.

Thanks to our generous supporters and donors, MVEF continues to bridge the gap between potential and opportunity.
Together, we are making sure that every Mini Marauder has the tools to bounce, build, explore, and thrive.

Because the road to STEM careers, strong minds, and a better future doesn’t begin in high school or even middle school.
It starts here—with a question, a trampoline, and the space to wonder.