project:
The Groveland Outdoor Classroom  (The Giving Tree Project)
Groveland Elementary School, Minnetonka, Minnesota  
 
project background:
Once in a while, an idea comes up, that just seems right.  My daughter and I were reading Shel Silverstein’s book, “The Giving Tree” together, and we thought it would be a nice idea to donate a “Giving Tree” to her school.  We brought the idea to the school principal, along with a larger concept...  Why not the addition of a fresh-air outdoor classroom for the students and staff?  He thought it was a perfect plan for his school, and so... “the idea was planted”.
 
The idea “took root and grew”, in the form of a circular gathering space, based on the council-ring concept, including a wrap-around student sitting wall and a raised teaching node, in the interior.  To make it A.D.A. compliant, we extended a walk system over to the school doors, designed as a series of chevrons and triangles, reminiscent of Native American design patterns. 
 
Next, we faced the very real challenge of funding.  With a grass-roots "Outdoor Classroom Committee", we got on the phone and sent letters and asked for donations, large or small, as well as seeking material donations from vendors and manufacturers.  (It’s a point of school pride, that not one dollar of school district funds or tax dollars went into the construction of this worthy project.)  Groveland students planted colorful gardens of native Minnesota wildflowers, and in May of the following spring, we dedicated the Outdoor Classroom in a special celebration (bottom photo).  That same fall, Ron Schara’s “Minnesota Bound” television show came and taped two separate stories on this rewarding community success.  The Groveland Outdoor Classroom is now listed on the National Registry of Children’s Gardens.