Eatonville students describe STEM-built trail, bridges and outdoor learning stations

Students from the Eatonville School District’s STEM class described a series of hands-on projects during a school presentation, including trail clearing, two bridges, an outdoor education shed and workstations for transitional kindergarten (TK) students.

The students said about 24 pupils participated in the trail work between September and November and that the trail to the river measures "about I think it's 0.8 mile." They said work included clearing debris, cutting fallen trees with hand saws, setting foundations with rock and laying gravel for bridge approaches, installing rope railings and creating sit spots along the route.

The projects were presented as an integrated learning exercise that combined outdoor education, safety improvements and STEM skills development. "I personally learned how to build things effectively and infrastructure and how to use, like, machinery or tools like drills," Kennedy Brown, a STEM student, said. The presentation listed student participants and showed photographs of bridges, sit spots and an outdoor education shed that school staff said was put up last month in partnership with parents and the PTO.

Students described two bridges: the group called one the "Bouncy Bridge" and showed pictures of a second bridge over a more flowing stream. They said crews removed several logs and trimmed the trail so younger students would not face tripping hazards, and that they used gravel from a nearby riverbank for bridge fill. The presenters also said they performed water sampling near the river for science lessons.

Another portion of the presentation focused on workstations built for the TK class at the school. Students described a math station made of long rounds numbered 1 to 9 with matching rings, sensory squares designed for touch and smell activities, and an outdoor work table intended to hold collected leaves and specimens for classroom use. Presenters said three outdoor stations were under development and that some pieces were not yet finished but would be completed.

School staff and community members praised the students' work. A presenter said teachers "really got into that work" and pointed to a progression chart and matrix posted on the school's website. A community member acknowledged a volunteer, Chris Burlow, who helped with the trail work.

Presenters invited the public to try the trail and noted it is used by all 11 grade levels at the school. They characterized the project as both a safety improvement and an educational resource that allows students to build teamwork and basic construction skills while contributing to a community facility.

No formal board actions, votes or policy changes were recorded in the transcript portion of this presentation.