Haslett Middle School courtyard becomes an outdoor classroom

The Meridian Township Environmental Commission met Oct. 6 to discuss Haslett Middle School’s courtyard project. 

Haslett Middle School science teacher Bridget Booth shared progress on the project and asked those in attendance for advice.

Booth received the Green Infrastructure Grant for school properties from the MTEC. After receiving the grant, Booth went to work to convert the interior courtyard at Haslett Middle School into an outdoor classroom space.

“The goal for this project is to create a space that students and teachers can use,” said Booth. “Teachers can bring their classes out into the space and use it as a classroom but in a roofless outdoor setting even though it is still enclosed,” said Booth.

The MTEV used this grant to get kids involved in environmental preservation.

“There are so many ways that this can connect with what we are trying to do,” said Leroy Harvey, Environmental Programs Coordinator for Meridian Township.

Booth assembled a team of her eighth-grade students in April last year to lead the project. They learned skills such as surveying land, choosing appropriate plants for climate, and even the benefits of a rain garden.

“The more we can do to re-engage kids with their local environment and teach them how to work with instead of against the earth itself, the better we’ll all be for the future because they’ll know how to handle these problems,” said Booth.

The potential for this space is limitless, Booth is not only looking at this as an outdoor classroom but also as a safe space for students who are feeling anxious.

“There’s a lot more of that this year, we are really focusing on social-emotional health for our students and so the fact that this is an enclosed space but still outside makes it an ideal setting for students,” said Booth. They will be able to pop out, rest, and be able to look at some natural things to recenter themselves.” 

Booth now has a new batch of eighth-graders to help with this project even though the original crew is still involved.

“Even though students from the original crew are now in high school, we still have a group that came back in the summer and still will come back to assist,” said Booth.

The crew is looking at October as their planting month, the students will meet on Wednesdays, to do some of the smaller jobs after school and will have Saturdays to tackle bigger projects.

“I think the fact that the Environmental Commission is supporting these types of initiatives is really great, right now the best thing we can be doing for young people is empowering them to be solving the problems that are associated with climate,” said Booth.