Tubman Elementary School has a unique feature – a centrally located sunken courtyard surrounded by hallways with glass walls that students pass by all day long.  It was designed as a passive space, mainly to look good, but the concrete steps and planters became overgrown and disused. We worked closely with the city, school staff, parents, and students to develop a plan for rehabilitating the courtyard to include a curriculum garden, outdoor classroom, and a teaching kitchen. First, we built ramps to provide access for all. Raised garden beds are high enough for someone in a wheelchair to reach in and plant (18”), and deep enough to grow potatoes + carrots. The kitchen is built with durable materials like cast stone and stainless steel. It was designed with a teaching moment: exposed sink drains show kids where the water goes. That way they learn about a key factor in the cycle of field to table. 

The classroom has a lightweight shade structure painted in the school color, a bright spring green. The storage shed was clad with whiteboard material so it can also function as a teaching wall. The pavilion was inspired by a shape every schoolkid will recognize (a paper airplane). It’s designed to see and celebrate rainwater harvesting – another teaching moment about water in the cycle of field to table. Water from the valleys is channeled from scuppers and rain chains to storage and a rain garden in a smart lesson about stormwater management at school. We also built a chicken run and now kids learn about what makes healthy soil (fertilizer) while they collect fresh eggs. Now every Wednesday the school hosts a farmer’s market with regional farms and invites the neighbors.