The Lewis-Palmer Elementary School community came together over the weekend to create new spaces and learning opportunities for students.
The work involved some heavy lifting, a landscape crew, and resulted in three new outdoor learning classrooms.
The project began as a Cub Scouts project for Pack 117, but expanded to include Scout Troops 6, 17, and 194. The school received a $3,000 grant from the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club for the project, which allowed them to make significant changes to the outdoor space.
“That $3,000 has gone a lot further than we thought it would,” Principal Koryn Kessler said.
On top of the grant from the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club, the LPES community has also donated many resources and supplies.
Throughout the weekend, around 75 people contributed to the project. One family donated a dumpster, another donated 30 tree stumps, and one volunteered the work of their own landscaping crew to build a brand new path.
Kessler also credited much of the project’s success to LPES staff, including Building Manager David Hurtado. Hurtado put a lot of work into the project and even recruited his son, who operates a tree cutting service, and helped remove and trim several trees. Plants, mulch, rock, and wooden signs were also donated by the LPES community.
“I am just so grateful to this community. We have come together, and it has been absolutely more than I could possibly imagine,” Kessler said.
LPES students voted on the names of the outdoor classrooms and landed on the Basecamp Classroom, Summit Classroom, and Outpost Classroom.
Students will begin utilizing the classrooms soon for a variety of academics and simply experiencing the outdoors. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be hosted soon to officially open the classrooms and thank everyone who contributed.