BECKER GREEN CLASSROOM

Description

Becker Green Classroom is a 10,000 square foot natural garden without chemicals that serves as an interactive outdoor classroom for students at Becker Elementary in Austin, Texas. Each Becker class has a designated bed where students plant, grow and harvest as they participate in activities that integrate curriculum concepts into their gardening. In addition, the garden has rainwater catchment tanks, a compost system, watershed and runoff models, alphabet and herb gardens, and a pond.

Students’ hands-on experience in the garden fosters a deeper understanding of science, ecology and healthy eating and promotes students’ sense of well-being through outdoor learning. Created in 1989, Becker Green Classroom has a proven track record of developing innovative programs to peak students’ interest in learning. It has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Texas Governor’s Clean Texas 2000 Award, The President’s Environmental Youth Award, and the Renew America Award for Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Conservation.