Nebraska Early
Childhood
Collaborative
Donor Wall

Client
Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative
Location
Omaha, NE
Completion date
August 2024

This interactive donor wall blends playful learning with heartfelt recognition, creating a vibrant tribute to a community that nurtures early childhood education. 

Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative was established in 2014 to serve the parents and educators of Nebraska. Through a strategic initiative of the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, NECC provides opportunities for strong, healthy relationships between parents and providers, ensuring consistent care and quality education. NECC engaged with RDG to design a donor recognition wall to recognize the individuals and organizations whose contributions have enabled NECC to live out its mission. 

Through engagement with the client, RDG's experiential designers identified two primary goals for the project: create a visually compelling piece highlighting donors' generous contributions, with the flexibility to incorporate future donors and develop a design that playfully engages the young children NECC serves. The resulting design helps strengthen the organization's commitment to early childhood education by providing an approachable, hands-on feature that encourages curiosity and learning while fostering a sense of appreciation for the donors who support NECC's work. 

RDG's design concept for the wall centers around an interactive block wall. Acrylic stars with donor names are prominently displayed, with additional donor names easily added to individual blocks as contributions grow. The blocks also allow for hands-on interaction and play, reflecting NECC's mission of supporting early learning through engagement and exploration. To connect with NECC's brand identity, the design incorporates brand colors, illustrations and typography, allowing it to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding environment. By incorporating varying shelf heights, children of different ages can engage with the wall, ensuring accessibility. 

Ultimately, this thoughtful and interactive design blends donor appreciation with playful engagement, creating a central feature within the Educare environment that is a testament to community support for early childhood education.