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School of Engineering & Arts highlights outdoor learning, community partnerships
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Summary
Principal Heather Hanson and students showed how the School of Engineering and Arts integrates outdoor learning across grades, describing 10 outdoor learning spaces, partnerships (DNR, Jeffers Foundation, 3 Rivers Park District, Eagle Scouts) and community volunteer support for maintenance and programming.
Principal Heather Hanson and a team of students and teachers presented an overview of outdoor, place-based learning at the School of Engineering and Arts during the Robbinsdale Area Schools board meeting on Nov. 3.
Hanson described ten outdoor learning spaces used across grade levels, including Big Rock Woods, Secret Woods, a Pollinator Garden and Chickadee Landing. She and student presenters walked the board through curriculum connections: trout-raising and release in fifth grade, K-12 weather data collection and graphing, garden-based lessons, nature-based poetry, and student-led presentations that bring older students into primary classrooms as teachers. Students described hands-on projects such as building forts from natural materials, planting trees and observing pollinators.
Hanson credited multiple partners and funders for sustaining the program, including the Jeffers Foundation, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources school-forest designation and support from the Richardson Nature Center and 3 Rivers Park District; Eagle Scouts and the 7 Dreams Foundation contributed infrastructure and materials. Parents and PTA volunteers support daily chicken care, planting and maintenance.
Board members praised the program. Director Long asked about community support for long-term maintenance; Hanson and staff said volunteers help with invasive-species removal (buckthorn), tree plantings and chicken care, and that district maintenance staff collaborate on larger projects. Director Hillebrand asked whether indigenous perspectives and treaty rights were being intentionally integrated into outdoor lessons; Hanson said teachers are receiving training and that work is beginning to be incorporated into lessons.
The presentation illustrated how district strategic themes (academic achievement, student engagement and wellness, collaboration and staff investment) are enacted at a single school through partnerships, professional development and family involvement.
