Education, collaboration, and the environment were on the minds of Skiles Test Elementary School students and volunteers as they planted a bed of native Indiana plants outside of the entrance to the Skiles Test Nature Park on May 5th. The project was the culmination of a new service-learning partnership between the school and Binford Redevelopment and Growth (BRAG), the convening organization for Great Indy Neighborhoods in the area.

Armed with work gloves, shovels and rakes, a group of over one hundred second- through fifth-graders from the school worked most of the day to spruce up the park’s appearance. “We’re planting native Indiana plants to make the area look prettier and to help the environment,” described an enthusiastic fourth-grader who was helping to finish her class’ portion of the planting.

With funding support from State Farm and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the program was developed as a way to improve interaction between area residents and Lawrence Township schools, one of six priorities identified in BRAG’s GINI quality-of-life Plan. Armed with the opportunity to provide teachers with service-learning training, Lisa Angrick, the GINI coordinator for the neighborhood, and other members of BRAG approached Lawrence Township’s Assistant Superintendent for Educational Support services, Dr. Duane Hodgin in search of a productive partnership. Almost immediately the group decided upon a collaborative project involving students from Skiles Test Elementary School and the Skiles Test Nature Area. “Skiles Test [Elementary School] is a safe and easy walk to and from the nature area,” said Lisa. “The school was also very excited about the prospect of developing a service-learning program, so much so that I was given my own empty classroom to work out of throughout the whole process.”

The first order of business was to introduce and explain the idea of a service-learning program to returning elementary school students in August. Students, faculty, and BRAG representatives met for a brainstorming session to develop ideas for what a Skiles Test service-learning program might look like. After a lively discussion of projects ranging from Olympic-sized pools to heliports, students, faculty and BRAG representatives decided to plant a bed of native Indiana plants outside of the nature area while studying the park’s ecology and the history of Indianapolis industrialist Skiles Test, namesake of both the school and the nature area.

Collaboration has been a key component of the program, with students leading much of the project planning. The seven teachers serving six classrooms at the elementary school provide the educational and curricular connection to the projects. Donovan Miller from the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society (InPAWS) provided students and faculty with much of the information and onsite identification of native Indiana plants, something the students found very interesting. “Basically, it was a short nature walk with each class to identify and describe some of the plant life in the Skiles Test Park. My goal was to connect kids to the wonders of nature and share some enthusiasm for the beauty and biological web of ‘wild places’,” said Donovan. “I would like to plant a lot of native plants because then the nature area can look like it used to,” said one fourth grader whose only complaint was that she expected that she and her classmates would plant more.

Overall, the project has been enthusiastically embraced by students, faculty and BRAG members, and the school plans to continue the student-focused service-learning program. When asked what was next for the program Angrick simply shrugs her shoulders and smiles. “This is a student-led project, so I’m not exactly sure. They’ve enjoyed learning about and working in the nature area, so it could be more planting. But we’ll just have to see.” Whatever the students decide to do, it is certain they will approach it enthusiastically and with a commitment to make a difference in their community.

Photo credits: Rob Elliott