Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Building an Outdoor Classroom

  • 10/01/16
Outdoor Classroom

The Kingsley-Pierson Community School District created a comfortable and innovative outdoor classroom to help students get a more hands-on educational experience.

In late 2013, the Kingsley-Pierson (Iowa) Community School District invested money from an anonymous donor to augment memorial money, given in honor of a deceased student, to build an outdoor classroom. Landscaping was installed in 2014. The six-sided shelter house is wheelchair accessible and along each side of the shelter is a Pilot Rock (brand) bench. The all-steel, 6-ft.-long benches have perforated seats and backs.

Each backrest includes a custom message to the student body: Respect, Citizenship, Caring, Fairness, Trustworthiness and Responsibility — the six pillars of the Character Counts program. “A contractor built the shelter house. And the benches were purchased from R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. We also enlisted our students to help. The horticulture class and our FFA program were instrumental with the landscaping around the classroom,” says Scott Bailey, superintendent and high school principal. “Elementary classes have used the classroom on different occasions. Some classes take students out for whole group reading on pioneer life and farming. High school classes use it, too. The students like to get outside on nice days,” he says.

There have also been presentations by groups from outside the school system. “There have been lectures to different classes on gardening and geology,” says Bailey, “and recently the Siouxland Humane Society did a presentation on animal care and safety. The new facility has proven popular with the students and the community.” To equip the classroom with benches the school contacted R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co., Cherokee, Iowa. The seat and back components are steel plate and perforated (punched) to create the custom letters for the six pillars of character. The thermoplastic coating over the steel creates a durable, low-maintenance bench.

www.pilotrock.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Concordia College Completes Memorial Auditorium Renovations

    Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., recently completed a $2.5-million renovation project to Memorial Auditorium, a news release reports. The college partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction and ICON Architectural Group for its design.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.