The Learning Gate Community School – Environmentally Focused

Article Submitted By: Michele Northrup

(Located in Hillsborough County, FL)

Children are learning to become good stewards of the planet at The Learning Gate Community School, a unique, environmentally focused public charter school just north of Tampa, Fla., where organic gardening, recycling and studying the biomes by trimester are all part of the normal daily curriculum.

 “We love that environmental sustainability at the center of the school’s daily activities,” said Michelle Woodward, parent of 9-year-old Cameron, a third-grader at the school. “The beautiful outdoor campus is a great, natural learning environment and helps the children learn to appreciate and respect nature. When we looked at Learning Gate, versus a traditional public school, there was no comparison. Can you imagine a school with its own butterfly garden and backyard habitat? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all schools were like this?”

The campus sits on 30 acres of woodlands and ponds that are living classrooms that also allow students to learn to live eco-friendly lives. Students find inspiration for essays while seated near the pond at the aquatic observation and research deck, or while watching a fox run by. Science classes are often held in an outdoor classroom furnished with wooden benches for seating and a white board. There’s even a student-built weather station.

“We envisioned the school as a place that reflected Rachel Carson’s passion for environmental purity, John Audubon’s artistic genius and the committed Florida activism of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas,” said Patti Girard, principal and founder of Learning Gate Community School.

Girard said that the families, faculty and Board at the school believe that children can grow up into environmentally conscious adults if, when they are young, they are shown tangible, effective ways to integrate green methods into their daily lives.

“Once learned, environmental stewardship becomes a habit,” she added. “Parents here are environmentally conscious and supportive. They are very involved in supporting the curriculum and school events.”

In a unique partnership, projects and theme-based learning units in language arts, math, social studies, history, science, music and other subjects are collaboratively planned by students, teachers and families.

“When families are involved in education, learning becomes a 24-hour-a day activity,” Girard said.

The 525 Kindergarten to eighth-grade students grow and harvest produce in their own organic garden, and the fruits and vegetables are then used in preparing school lunches.  As an example of how traditional studies are integrated into the curriculum, students learn math by measuring growth rates of the vegetables in their garden.

School officials say they aim to inspire learning through student-centered activities that encourage cooperative investigation, facilitate understanding and develop problem-solving and decision-making skills. The emphasis on learning in a team environment helps improve social and emotional intelligence, as students learn to value diversity and individual strengths of others.

“It’s really important for students to understand the symbiotic relationships between the community and the natural environment,” Girard said. “We help them do that by using local resources and by requiring participation in community service.”
 
The students all participate in recycling, and also learn in nine new, environmentally-friendly, modular classrooms that are built from recycled materials. They are the first modular classrooms to be registered for Platinum certification for the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDВ®) for Schools program.

“Virtually every aspect of the classrooms is recycled, renewable or organic,” Girard said. “We used recycled steel frames, lumber approved by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and even soy foam insulation to build the classrooms. Our conference table was built from a tree that had fallen on the school grounds. We’ll even generate some of our own electricity through solar-paneled awnings.”

Green technology in the buildings ensures maximum efficiency of lighting and temperature control, important in Florida’s hot climate. The windows are designed to maximize natural light, and photo-sensitive light fixtures gauge the amount of natural light coming into the rooms and self-adjust. Humidity indicators show when it’s favorable to open the windows for a natural breeze. The school’s six pre-existing buildings will be retrofitted to sustainable standards over time, according to Girard.

Corporations are increasingly recognizing that green is good business. Lowes’ Charitable and Educational Foundation awarded Learning Gate a $250,000 grant for the planning and building the new green classrooms, one of which is now named “The Lowes Building”.

Principal Girard originally opened Learning Gate Community School in 2000 with a vision to develop a school dedicated to ecology and the environment.