We want to create an outdoor classroom curricular area by designing a more accessible garden for our students with disabilities, an outdoor art class, a movement area and a science classroom.
Leader
Janet Healy
Location
61-25 Marathon Parkway Little Neck, NY 11362
P811Q would like to create an outdoor classroom located in our school garden where we can bring all curricular areas for our students with disabilities into this space. We want to set up a therapeutic movement area in the school garden surrounded by a Zen garden in which our teachers and physical therapists will be able to implement classes. We would also like to bring our art and science program to the outdoors by obtaining outdoor easels and materials for science exploration such as magnifiers and specimen kits. Our art teacher will be able to utilize the beauty of our garden to inspire art work. We would like to make our garden more accessible for our students who use wheelchairs by changing our planting beds to more accessible cut-out tables so that students can have more direct contact with the vegetable planting. We plan on scheduling over 100 students to use this outdoor environment.
· Once the campaign is completed, our next steps include:
· Mar. 15, 2017-Research the materials that we need to make the outdoor classroom a success
Mar. 20, 2017-Order all materials for outdoor classroomPurchase accessible garden bed tables, glass outdoor easels, seeds for Zen garden, magnifiers and specimen holders.
April 3, 2017- Plan classroom schedule for outdoor classroom and choose curriculum
April 24, 2017- Grand opening ceremony-invite our contributers
Apr. 24-Aug, 2017-Invite volunteers from the community senior center to help us implement the program.
Apr.24-Aug.2017- Invite Grow to Learn to implement workshops in the garden outdoor classroom.
This project addresses an environmental challenge for our school because we want our students with disabilities to have full physical access to the garden through the use of accessible garden beds. The garden needs an environmental make-over to change it into a truly workable space that meets the needs of our students. Our students need to participate in movement activities that enable them to safely manipulate their environment through therapeutic movement. The students often do not have access to outdoor areas for movement. It also addresses a community challenge because we partner with community organizations including the Deepdale Senior Center in our neighborhood. The seniors want to be involved in beautifying their neighborhood.