Campbell STEM Elementary Adoption of Wolverine Park

Dawn Wilcox & Ginny Gates

What can we do w/in walking distance from school?

Impetus:

• iTREC

• Campbell STEM Elementary proposal

Wolverine Park

• Neglected park

• Neighborhood park

• Engage whole school

Our Initial Steps 1. Engaging our students

• Buy-in • Student-driven (ideas, decisions, presentations & implementation)

2. Collaboration • 2nd & 6th grade classes • Anchorage Parks Foundation & Schools on Trails, Brendan Stuart • Landscape Architects – Brie Keifer & Elise Huggins

3. Adoption • School adoption of Wolverine Park recognized by ASD • Anchorage Parks Foundation Grant

Site visits & explorations

Engaging Students

Engaging Our Students Leaf rubbings, Scientific drawings, Bird watching, Recording park usage

Inception of the Project: Probing Questions

We asked our students:

How do people use public spaces?

Why are public spaces important?

What can we change, or improve upon at Wolverine Park so that more people (not just students) visit the park?

How can we make it “ours”?

Engagement & Collaboration

2nd & 6th grade students voted on :

• Informative signs • Birdhouses • Improved trail /

maintenance • Outdoor classrooms

Collaboration

Landscape Architects: Brie & Elise

• Job Applications – 2nd & 6th graders

• Design process

• Activity, Effect, Materials

• Collaborative Maps

• Final Design

Final Design Presentations

Adoption: Campbell Elementary School Adoption and Educational Improvements at Wolverine Park ASD

Campbell Community Council

Anchorage Parks Foundation Grant, Brendan Stewart, Celebration

STEM Club

Fall:

• Plant bushes/vegetation

• Prepare trails

• Construct birdhouses

• Install boulders

Year-long:

• Design interpretive signs

• Install birdhouses

• Tables