Students and staff at Conrad Elementary School celebrated the opening of a new outdoor learning space recently.
The $84,000 outdoor classroom comprises a fully fenced garden with raised planter boxes, wooden picnic tables, seating, water tables, a composting station and a shed to store gardening tools.
Named ‘Syndooynm Na Ḵ’oom,’ which translates to ‘garden of hope’ is “designed to create a safe place where students and educators can connect with the outdoors while exploring the changing seasons through an Indigenous cultural lens,” according to a press release.
The school dedicated the garden to truth and reconciliation.
A project was a collaboration between School District 52 and the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA), with the latter kicking in $42,000 from its Community investment fund.
“Educators at Conrad Elementary School strive to create a diverse and inclusive learning environment that meets the needs of all learners,” said Kerri Levelton, current principal of Prince Rupert Middle School who was principal at Conrad when the project was developed.
Levelton thanked the port authority calling the result of the project “hands-on and authentic.”
It was designed with support from the school district’s Aboriginal Education Department of local elders who visit Conrad Elementary School as part of ongoing programs.
The school plans to expand the offerings beyond the students to others living in the community by using it for a wide range of activities and lessons and making it an intergenerational space of culture and knowledge sharing, according to the release.
“PRPA understands that helping to build a strong community means contributing to the health, vitality, and prosperity of our region and we are proud to see our Community Investment Fund support local projects like this one that align with those core values,” said Shaun Stevenson, PRPA president and CEO.
thom.barker@blackpress.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter