The Virginia Outdoors Foundation has awarded $25,000 to Freedom High School to help build a dedicated outdoor learning space. Since its opening in 2004, Freedom High has served as the Center for Environmental and Natural Sciences (CENS).

The mission of CENS is to foster environmental citizenship and a sustainable community through service and hands-on collaborative learning experiences that encourage innovative thinking, problem-solving, and leadership within the school and community. Freedom strives to cultivate a student body that respects and cares for all life and maintains ecological integrity.

While Freedom has outdoor gardens and walking trails, it currently lacks an outdoor learning space.

 The goal is to connect the walking trails with a learning space to help provide outdoor learning opportunities and thus, hopefully reduce chronic absenteeism and boost student engagement.

“Many of our students face barriers such as poverty, food insecurities, violence, homelessness, limited access to the outdoors, and poor health. Providing students with a dedicated outdoor learning space, where students can explore and make connections with living systems, will help breakdown those barriers as well as increase attendance, decrease behavior issues, support physical and mental health, and build a sense of community,” said Dr. Jessica Doiron, coordinator of specialty programs and advanced academics at Freedom High.

The dedicated outdoor learning space supports the PWCS Vision 2025, Launching Thriving Futures strategic plan by creating site-specific outdoor environmental experiences for students.

 The outdoor learning space is projected to open next spring.