Milton Avenue School Uses Grant To Create Outdoor Classroom

Press release from the Milton Avenue School:

Feb. 17, 2021

Milton Avenue School has been awarded a generous grant from the Chatham Education Foundation, as well as funding support from the Milton Avenue School PTO, to create an outdoor learning space with the goal of developing innovative learning spaces and enhancing student learning. The purpose of this outdoor classroom is to take learning outdoors, and to incorporate the study of nature. Students have the opportunity to engage directly with the natural world, explore and try new activities that support their holistic development, and they can be more physically active.

As a newly certified sustainable school, this also aligns with Milton Avenue School’s mission of incorporating our environment into learning! With the current COVID-19 pandemic, this space has been needed more, now than ever, being that the area also promotes social distancing by providing additional classroom space. Students and teachers have benefitted from the design of the classroom; it promotes whole class instruction with enough safe seating for each student, and small group exploration through the use of work areas. Students have the opportunity to learn about any subject in the outdoor classroom while gaining knowledge and appreciation of nature. Teachers benefit as well, as an outdoor classroom allows them to further develop concepts and learning objectives introduced in the curriculum while providing the opportunity to enhance their teaching skills. For everyone involved, the outdoors has also promoted a huge number of health benefits due to an emphasis on physical activity and access to fresh air.

A recent study shows that learning outdoors is not just a fun, novel experience for kids, but also helps them focus once they return to the classroom. Outdoor education has also been cited to increase school performance, provide a healthy alternative to being indoors, support child development, and help develop a sense of place and community. This outdoor classroom relates to all aspects of the curriculum. For example, students may use the space as they further explore the topic of living things in science. Students may also use the space when doing sensory writing about the things they see and hear around them. Some classes may even use the space as a comfortable place for silent, sustained reading. The possibilities are endless!

The School District of the Chathams has been committed to adding outdoor learning spaces. Funding from Chatham Education Foundation and MAS PTO allowed Milton Avenue School to join the other District schools in offering students an outdoor learning experience. Washington Avenue School, Southern Boulevard School and Lafayette Avenue School have all recently built outdoor classrooms and have been incorporating outdoor learning for the past several years. Chatham Education Foundation has also previously funded an outdoor garden at Chatham Middle School. Chatham High School teachers and students have access to a variety of outdoor spaces.

The School District of the Chathams and Milton Avenue School would like to thank both the Chatham Education Foundation and the MAS PTO for their generosity and support of the students and staff at Milton Avenue School!

This press release was produced by the Milton Avenue School. The views expressed here are the author's own.