Going into fall, there were fewer tomatoes, squash and chard for Sauvie Island School students to harvest from carefully tended gardens.
But while the outdoor growing season was coming to an end, the learning season was just taking off for these Oregon students. Throughout the year, they are cultivating academic skills through place-based learning.
The learning model aims to connect curriculum with surroundings, and the gardens and native habitat are nature’s teachers, said Darla Meeuwsen, executive director of the public charter school.
“Gardening is an easy place to start place-based learning,” she said. “You can learn math; you can learn science and you can write about it. Our partnership with Williams really helped us build the infrastructure we needed to get our program off the ground.”
The K-8 school’s program started with a few raised beds, and then gardens on the 5-acre property. With help from Williams, they’ve added a garden shed and small greenhouse.
And now, middle school students collaborate with cafeteria staff to plan and plant produce for school lunches.
Inside the school, students are learning technical skills in lab space supported by Williams.
Meeuwsen said Tinkerspace is a creative, messy and educational spot for the youngest students, “Tinkers,” to create craft objects like laser-cut name tags and learn about lab safety.
Makerspace activities are designed for grades 3-5 and add more complex skill building and problem-solving to creative lessons.
The Fab Lab is the most advanced of the classes and designed for middle school students to explore lab safety, proper usage and maintenance of equipment, introduction to traditional drafting and design, along with software programs and 3D printing.
Like the gardens, the curriculum builds, providing students with a strong foundation for pursuits in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics).
“It’s so gratifying to see our kids leave here after 8th grade, with their critical thinking skills, their organizational skills and their people skills well developed,” Meeuwsen said.
Jimmie Hammontree, director of State Government and Regulatory Affairs for Williams, recently visited the school.
“It’s incredible to see Williams’ dollars supporting such great immersive, hands-on learning experiences for the students,” he said. “Having seen their enthusiasm and excitement firsthand, I’m honored to be involved in this partnership.”
Williams in Oregon
Williams support of Sauvie Island School is part of $555,841 in corporate giving throughout the state since 2010.
Williams operates 749 miles of natural gas transmission and gathering pipeline in Oregon, with capacity to transport about 31% of the natural gas that enters the state.