Helen Crooks, Kathy Greendale, Shannon Daigle, Waynette Bautista

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Outdoor Garden Classroom,” is focused on integrating environment-based education with traditional teaching curricula to help students improve their academic achievement, adopt healthier lifestyles and foster greater respect for nature and the environment. The group of four teachers will create an outdoor garden classroom consisting of several raised garden beds with soil, seeds and an automatic drip irrigation system. In addition to conducting lessons outside in the garden, students and teachers will learn how to run a farmer’s market and throw a harvest party for the community. The outdoor garden classroom will provide numerous opportunities for students to apply knowledge, skills and technologies used in horticulture. The team hopes this unique learning environment will grow with the school and become an essential element in lessons, activities and eventually their school’s culture.