CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Children learn to love and respect the earth by getting their hands dirty. However, many children do not have the opportunity to connect with natural spaces on a regular basis. Therefore, connecting students to nature, embedding environmental education into the curriculum, and greening our school grounds is a top priority for Highland.

NATURAL GROUND REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

The Natural Grounds Redevelopment Project is about planting and cultivating the seeds of a strong environmental ethic in our children. We are re-imagining our outdoor space to be a natural learning environment for us all. A few years ago, we began this journey by installing raised bed gardens during a parent volunteer day. We’ve been steadily modifying the grounds ever since. In 2015, we purchased the building from Milwaukee Public Schools which allowed us more freedom to alter the school grounds. Through a partnership with MMSD, three bioswales were installed on the property. We also partnered with Reflo to create the Phase 2 plan for the Natural Grounds that will guide us in future developments. We are a school committed to developing the child as a whole and taking into consideration the significance of our interactions with the environment that sustains us. By sowing these seeds, our students influence their families and the community at large.

GREEN SCHOOL CONSORTIUM

As members of the Green Schools Consortium of Milwaukee, Highland has quickly become a leader in the greening school grounds in Milwaukee and hosted the first ever Green Schools Design and Development Conference this past June. This conference brought together stakeholders to share green infrastructure plans and network together while inspiring more schools to break ground. We were proud to share our lessons learned and help other schools in their efforts!