Kickemuit Middle School is partnering with outdoor learning advocate and nonprofit group Thrive Outside to develop a plan for constructing an Outdoor Learning Zone at the middle school.

In the Concept Vision Plan, created with input from various members of the middle school and Thrive Outside, there are many different and unique areas that they hope to include to benefit KMS students and staff, such as:

• Creativity space for journaling, sketching, or highlighting student artwork.
• A meadow walk, including a native plant meadow garden, handicap accessible path, stepping stone offshoot paths, birdhouses, and boulder seating.
• An outdoor adventure zone including a low-ropes course for team building and other activities, a native woodland garden, invention space, a bughouse, and varied seating options like boulders and tree stumps.
• Flex space that includes a performance area with a stage and seating, picnic tables that can be easily moved when the stage is being used, white boards, a variety of seating, and a pergola.
• A quiet reset space for teacher planning, student therapy, meditation, and learning. It would include a pond, sensory stimulating plants, and seating options like adirondack chairs.
• A growing garden designated for horticulture, including raised bed planters with one specially designed for wheelchair access, a picnic table for studying or enjoying a harvest meal, a storage shed, a compost area, and boulder seating.
• A lawn area for physical education classes and fire drills

KMS and Thrive Outside plan to begin their Outdoor Learning Zone using the $100,000 RIDE Learning Inside Out Outdoor Classroom grant that they received earlier this year. However, this grant will only fund the creation of three of the areas from the Concept Vision Plan.

They hope to mobilize the school community to fundraise over the next few months so that the entire vision can be implemented this summer.

KMS will be hosting an informational meeting for students, families, and community members on Thursday, Feb. 29, at 6:00 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. If you’d like to hear more about the proposed Outdoor Learning Zone, you are encouraged to attend.