Fresh Buds Set for Spring in the Park
by Brian Bovaird, Program Director, Outdoor Classroom at Woodward Park
It all started with Summer collaborations to till the rich soil for a fresh start for Outdoor Classroom at this incredible 44-acre learning campus of Woodward Park. The news spread quickly. The restoration of the historic Carriage House evolved into an incredible living laboratory for older elementary students and social service groups to develop their curiosity, critical thinking skills, and on certain weather days, their perseverance and resiliency to positively affect their life journeys as continuous learners.
Over 1,342 students and adult facilitators have so far dived deep into complex STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) topics that uniquely dovetailed into the schools’ planning calendars and complemented State academic standards, while getting messy in nature. We have planted the seeds of self-awareness and the buds are set for empowering a future generation of innovators and change-makers. We are changing communities from the kids up!
Outdoor Classroom at Woodward Park is not just a blip on the radar of our student’s crazy busy lives, often impeded by hunger, school absences, adverse home experiences and/or negative neighborhood paradigms. Our Naturalist Educator team are mentors, delivering exemplary and curated experiences that lead to HOPE, which is a precursor to JOY. We have established Science Clubs back in the schools and will participate in school family nights. We bring textbooks to life back in the Classroom, with an open invitation to come back often to the Park to share their adventures with others. We hosted 34 field classes across 9 Tulsa area school districts. We partnered with Camp HOPE (Family Safety Center) on a Saturday exploring the Park. We awakened the spirits of Special Needs students (and their parents/guardians) from Moore Elementary (Union) on their first field trip ever! We will bring a special group of students from Jenks High School and Town & Country School out this Spring. We have partnered once again with the TU School of Mechanical Engineering on their Senior Design Project to capture precious energy from composting to warm the fish tanks of our aquaponics system. We are the education partner for a National USDA grant with Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES) and our industry partner, Symbiotic Aquaponics LLC. Twenty area teachers will learn at the Park, take their systems into their classrooms and bring their students back to the Park.
Finally, we are excited to partner with the Department of Education Program Development for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to both learn at our 100-year old park and Native American allotment land, while we learn from them about natural STEM, land use and the stewardship they have exemplified for centuries! We eagerly await a mighty bloom this Spring with Outdoor Classroom at Woodward Park!
Mvto! Mvskoke for “Thank You”