The fourth grade Stormwater Management Design Project was an experiential, hands-on, interdisciplinary project created by the fourth grade teachers in collaboration with the Center for Public Purpose. The Stormwater Management Design Team, comprised of twelve fourth-grade students, spent a week investigating strategies for managing stormwater, then planned and installed a “rain garden” on campus, using carefully-selected plants to absorb and circulate excess water back into the soil. During the course of the project, students:
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learned about the problem of stormwater runoff and the different management tools available to more efficiently manage it;
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visited a variety of institutions (including our own) to explore designs and rationale for their chosen stormwater infrastructures;
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identified a location on our own campus that could benefit from stormwater management;
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decided how to solve our specific stormwater problem, eventually landing on the rain garden approach;
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researched, planned and shopped for plants and materials;
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and, finally, dug and planted a rain garden near the entrance to the Lower School.
Many experts were consulted in the process and others worked collaboratively with the students. “The experience was comprehensive, rich and meaningful to all involved,” said fourth grade teacher Orit Netter.
