Growing Green Futures: An Outdoor Learning Garden for Environmental Stewardship

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Project Overview

This project will create a sustainable outdoor classroom garden on our elementary school campus to enhance campus beautification while providing hands-on environmental education opportunities for approximately 1,000 students in grades PreK–5.

 

The garden will serve as a living laboratory where students can learn about plant life cycles, ecosystems, sustainability, and recycling practices through direct observation and experiential learning. The project aligns with North Carolina’s commitment to environmental preservation by fostering environmental awareness, responsibility, and stewardship among students at an early age.

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Expected Student Learning Outcomes

Through structured garden investigations and hands-on activities, students will:

• Apply the scientific method by asking questions, making predictions, collecting data, and drawing conclusions

• Investigate plant life cycles and measure plant growth using age-appropriate tools and data charts

• Analyze how organisms interact within sustainable ecosystems, including soil health, water conservation, and pollination

• Use engineering design processes to plan, build, and maintain garden structures and composting systems

• Explore recycling and composting systems as solutions to environmental challenges

• Strengthen mathematical skills through measurement, graphing, counting, and comparison of growth data

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Scope of Work

Our school already has a designated garden area; however, the space has been neglected over the years. This project aims to revitalize and repurpose the existing space by reusing as many materials as possible from the original garden while preparing the area for a new sustainability-focused outdoor learning environment.

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The project will include dedicated areas for North Carolina native plants and a vegetable garden. Produce harvested from the garden will be shared with a local community kitchen to help support individuals and families in need. In addition, a student and family gardening club will be established to help support, maintain, and sustain the garden for years to come.

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The scope of work includes:

• Designing and constructing raised garden beds using the engineering design process

• Planting native and seasonal plants to support ecosystem and biodiversity studies

• Installing a composting station to model sustainable waste management practices

• Creating STEM-focused signage explaining plant biology, ecosystems, sustainability, and recycling processes

• Integrating garden investigations into grade-level STEM lessons aligned with North Carolina educational standards

• Engaging students in ongoing data collection, observation logs, journaling, and reflection activities