Lewisville ISD, Southridge Elementary School

The Southridge Elementary School Outdoor Learning Center (OLC) is a community
based project with collaboration between McAdams, Lewisville Independent School
District and the local community including parents and children. The learning and
gardening center was designed to be built by the community with unskilled labor and
engagement tasks for children. The fresh produce was available to the immediate community that was within walking distance.  This community garden was within a “food desert” area. McAdams surveyed the site and laid out the basic design and was involved in all aspects of the design, procurement and execution. McAdams assisted in writing grants, getting donations and writing garden and nature based curriculum. The local school children helped fill the planters and were
responsible for all of the planting. Once finished and dedicated, teachers utilized the
OLC not only for gardening, but also for regular classes.

Scientists have known for a while that natural outdoor environments can have a variety
of beneficial effects on people. People exposed to parks, trees or wildlife can experience
benefits such as physical activity, stress reduction, rejuvenated attention and increased
motivation. A study recently published in open-access journal Frontiers in Psychology
found that 9-10 year-old children are significantly more attentive and engaged with
their schoolwork following an outdoor lesson in nature. The results suggest that outdoor
lessons may be an inexpensive and convenient way to improve student engagement,
a major factor in academic achievement.