POD Wake County

NLI > Primary Beginnings Child Development Center #1

Primary Beginnings Child Development Center #1

Primary Beginnings Child Development Center, located in Raleigh, NC and a participating POD Wake demonstration center, has improved the quality of their outdoor learning environment by introducing five new settings to increase physical activity and garden productivity.

The installation of a five-foot wide looped pathway provides a favorite activity for the children. Shade trees, nine fruit trees, 363 square feet of vegetable garden beds, and 176 square feet of fruiting shrubs were planted throughout the space.

Over $19,000 was invested in the OLE at Primary Beginnings CDC during the course of the POD Wake project and they received a City of Raleigh Urban Agriculture Award in 2015.

Address: 4001 Spring Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27616
Phone: (919) 790-6888
Website: View
NC Star Rating: 5
Capacity: 150

The kids run to the beds to see what’s new and if it’s the same as yesterday. They ask questions like, “can we pick tomatoes, can we pull the weeds?”

A child wanted to take some zucchini home… the grandmother ended up preparing it and they loved it. They reported back that it was better than store-bought!

Center Director

Schematic Master Plan (2013)

Safe Place Schematic

Before Renovation (2013)

After Renovation (2018)

child picking sweet peas off a vine

Snacking on sweet peas

mud kitchen

Mud kitchen

Pollinator garden along the fence

Pollinator garden along the fence

Fruiting plum tree

Fruiting plum tree

Welcoming entry garden

Welcoming entry garden

Arbor crossing looping pathway

Arbor crossing looping pathway

child jumping across logs

Log play with shade sail

children harvesting marigold seeds from plant

Harvesting marigold seeds