CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- When a new classroom opens up at a school, the band usually doesn't show up to perform and local dignitaries usually don't cut a giant ribbon.
But the newest learning space at Salem Church Middle School is designed with more than just lessons in mind.
On Wednesday, school and community leaders gathered with students, teachers, and parents to unveil a new outdoor classroom behind the school building.
“We know that outdoor classrooms like this have been known to provide so many psychological benefits," Ashley Hall, the executive director of Communities in Schools Chesterfield (CIS-C) told the crowd.
CIS-C helped design and fund the project, utilizing federal COVID-recovery grants and community donations.
“We know especially for middle schoolers, being able to move around, get outside the four walls of their classroom is really positive," Hall said.
While work on the project began during the pandemic, the challenges it amplified continue in schools across the nation: Chronic absenteeism, behavioral issues, and academic struggles.
Hall said they hope the outdoor environment will help students and teachers at Salem Church in a litany of ways.
“It feels like a moment of real mental health crisis in our whole country, so for us to do something in a small way to help kids get outside, have a moment to breathe, think about learning in a different exciting way, and have all those positive effects of learning outdoors, we’re really excited to be part of that," she said.
The outdoor classroom is designed with large planters throughout, locally made wood benches for sitting, and a mural painted by local artist Hamilton Glass.
"I thought maybe four picnic tables and some gravel," said the school's principal Nicholas Olson, who first approached CIS-C with his idea for the project. “If we’ve learned anything over the last four years, it’s that the traditional way of learning doesn’t need to happen; students don’t need to sit at a desk with four walls. They are much more dynamic than we give them credit for, so we should build spaces they deserve.”
Even though outdoor classrooms aren't completely new, Olson said his staff plans to use this space to promote community and engage students beyond coursework, as well.
"It’s really going to be a hub of our school, a community space outside where a lot of dynamic, different types of learning can occur," Olson said.
Never before have young people had access to so much information so quickly, which is why Olson said allowing students to directly connect with the outdoor environment will hopefully enhance their time at Salem Church Middle.
"We are preparing students to be successful in a very dynamic society, and there’s a lot of pressure. No longer are we providing information for them, now they have all the information at their fingertips. We’re teaching them how to sort through it. Now, learning can happen in the world, it doesn’t just need to happen in the building," he said.
The school plans to begin using the classroom in earnest when the weather warms up. Olson said leaders at other Chesterfield schools have already inquired about the project.
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