2.5: Structures for Environmental Learning

Return to Objective 2: Student-driven Sustainability Practices

Action 1: Student Gardening

Students of all ages access our garden during class time and at recess. Students in Elementary and AC have additional opportunities to work in the garden through our Seed to Table program, as well as through special projects and Green Team initiatives.

Preparing garden beds for planting

Photo: May 24, 2019

Preparing garden beds for planting

Photo: May 24, 2019

Harvesting radishes from the garden

Photo: May 24, 2019

Harvesting our juneberries

Photo: May 24, 2019

Students in the garden

Photo: October 26, 2018

Garden harvest

Photo: October 26, 2018

Students in the garden

Photo: October 26, 2018

The garden is also open to students during recess.

Photo: June 6, 2018

For our garden redesign, students helped to construct, install, and fill new garden beds, just in time for spring planting.

Photo: April 25, 2018

AC students worked with our partners at Four Twelve Development to design and install a pergola for the garden

Photo: June 7, 2017

Action 2: Chicken Keeper Teams

Students are responsible for taking care of our chickens, from feeding and watering, to collecting eggs and keeping their habitat free of debris. Students are our resident experts in the care and keeping of chickens; they provide lessons to their peers and to the volunteers who care for our chickens during school breaks and holidays.

Caring for our chickens

Photo: September 2019

Caring for our chickens

Photo: September 2019

Caring for our chickens

Photo: September 2019

Chicken Keepers get fresh water for the hens.

Photo: May 30, 2019

Chicken Keepers get fresh water for the hens.

Photo: May 30, 2019

Chicken Keepers check on the hens in the coop.

Photo: May 30, 2019

Chicken Keepers check on the hens in the coop.

Photo: May 30, 2019

Maintaining the chicken coop area and removing debris.

Photo: April 2019

Gathering fresh eggs

Spring 2016

Gathering fresh eggs

December 13, 2017

The new chicken coop we installed in 2016-17 is suitable to continue housing chickens during the winter months, and includes more reinforcements to guard against predators and improved accessibility for chicken caretakers.

Photo: January 3, 2017

Action 3: Playground Preservation Team

Our students are responsible for maintaining the greenspace and playground and ensuring that any garbage and debris is removed before it risks entering the waterways. Each week, a different level is assigned to this responsibility.

2.# Student Led Sustainability Playground Clean Up Schedule.pdf

Documentation: December 12, 2019

Children's House students remove debris from the playground

Photo: March 4, 2020

Children's House students remove debris from the playground

Photo: March 4, 2020

Children's House students remove debris from the playground

Photo: March 4, 2020

Lower Elementary students tackle their turn to clean the playground

Photo: February 10, 2020

Following a busy recess removing debris from our playspace!

Photo: February 10, 2020

Lower Elementary students tackle their turn to clean the playground

Photo: February 2020

Lower Elementary students tackle their turn to clean the playground

Photo: February 2020

Lower Elementary students tackle their turn to clean the playground

Photo: February 2020

For their assigned week, Lower Elementary extended their clean up efforts to the front of the school as well.

Photo: February 14, 2020

Removing debris from the school façade.

Photo: February 14, 2020

Upper Elementary's turn to remove debris from the greenspace

Photo: February 27, 2020

Targeting troublesome areas where the chicken coop meets the parking lot fence

Photo: February 27, 2020

Debris removal following a productive recess!

Photo: February 27, 2020

Adolescent Community students remove litter from the greenspace

Photo: March 4, 2020

Adolescent Community students remove litter from the greenspace

Photo: March 4, 2020

Adolescent Community students remove litter from the greenspace

Photo: March 4, 2020

Action 4: Upper Elementary Camping Trip

Every year since 2017, Upper Elementary students organize and plan a camping trip, from creating planning teams to securing the funds necessary for their outdoor adventure. Students book the sites, decide on and cook meals, arrange for transportation, and plan activities and learning experiences.

The purpose of this trip is for students to learn wilderness survival skills and practice orienteering and navigation. This is also an opportunity for students to experience our planet's ecology up close, nurture their natural connection to nature, cultivate a life-long commitment to preservation and sustainability, and celebrate the end of the school year.

Students have begun preliminary plans for Upper Elementary's 2020 camping trip. As a result of their first meeting, planning teams are in place, fundraising is in process, and students have successfully advocated for an additional night in the wilderness!

Photo: February 10, 2020

Upper Elementary planners track their meeting notes and ideas in a master binder for reference

Photo: February 27, 2020

Brainstorming plans and tasks

Photo: February 27, 2020

Preliminary budget

Photo: February 27, 2020

Preliminary packing lists

Photo: February 27, 2020

Camping traditions: The master planning binder contains all of our documents and templates to help plan a successful camping trip. Every year, the 5th grade student in charge of the binder legacies it to a 4th grader who keeps the binder safe over the summer and uses it to plan the next trip.

From left to right - our 5th grade planner and binder keeper, with planners from our 2017-2019 trips, now in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Photo: March 4, 2020

UE Camping Ongoing Notes & Plan May 2019.pdf

Camping planning meeting notes, task distribution, and follow up assignments

Documentation: May 1, 2019

Camping planning meeting: marketing and communications team

Photo: May 1, 2019

Mixing taco spice for our camping dinner

Photo: June 7, 2019

Preparing taco filling

Photo: June 7, 2019

Harvesting juneberries on our greenspace for morning muffins

Photo: June 7, 2019

Prepping vegetables for camping dinner

Photo: June 7, 2019

Setting up camp

Photo: June 9, 2019

Setting up camp

Photo: June 9, 2019

Setting up camp

Photo: June 9, 2019

Hiking Patapsco

June 9, 2019

Exploring waterways

June 9, 2019

Making memories

June 9, 2019

Breakfast team, ready for hungry campers

Photo: June 10, 2019

Breakfast in process

Photo: June 10, 2019

Learning how to set up a shelter

Photo: June 10, 2018

Learning how to set up a shelter

Photo: June 10, 2018

Learning how to set up a shelter

Photo: June 10, 2018

Exploring the waterways

Photo: June 10, 2018

Hiking Patapsco Valley State

Photo: June 10, 2018

Enjoying a well set up camp

Photo: June 10, 2018

Student-led fundraiser for annual camping trip

Photo: May 17, 2017

Exploring Patapsco State Park

June 6, 2017

Exploring Patapsco State Park

June 6, 2017

Students planned and led a raffle to raise funds for the 2017 camping trip.

Photo: June 2, 2018

Action 5: Outdoor Classroom

Students at all grade levels can access our outdoor classroom, which is configured with logs for seating and a blackboard wall for lessons, interpretive drawings, and sketching.