Learning doesn’t have to stop at the classroom door. Across four Fort Wayne Community Schools, thoughtfully designed outdoor classrooms are giving students new opportunities to explore, discover, and engage with their surroundings while supporting movement, collaboration, and hands-on learning. By providing a change of scenery from the traditional classroom, these spaces transform everyday lessons into memorable experiences that extend well beyond the walls of the school.

Beginning in 2022, FWCS partnered with JPR to design four unique outdoor learning environments for Whitney Young STEAM Early Childhood, Irwin STEM Magnet School, Weisser Park STEAM Elementary School, and Memorial Park STEAM Magnet School. Rather than developing a one-size-fits-all solution, each space was carefully tailored to complement the educational focus of its campus while creating engaging learning environments that extend beyond the traditional classroom. Those distinctions became the foundation for the design process, allowing each outdoor classroom to support the unique ways students learn.

JPR’s multidisciplinary team collaborated to create environments that function as true extensions of the classroom. While every outdoor space reflects the character of its individual school, they all share a common purpose: encouraging students to learn through exploration, creativity, and real-world experiences.

The outdoor classrooms feature a variety of elements designed to inspire curiosity and active participation. Depending on the school, students can work in gardens, experiment in flexible maker spaces, interact with musical features, or explore water play elements that reinforce classroom concepts through hands-on discovery. Instead of simply reading about science, engineering, or nature, students have opportunities to experience those lessons firsthand. The outdoor classrooms also support reading, art projects, small-group instruction, class discussions, and quiet reflection, giving teachers flexible spaces to adapt learning throughout the school day.

At Irwin, students maintain vegetable and butterfly gardens that support interdisciplinary STEM units focused on plant growth and lifecycles. The outdoor classroom serves as both an instructional space and an extension of recess, allowing students to continue learning while enjoying the benefits of being outdoors and developing practical life skills through gardening, teamwork, and caring for their environment.

According to Principal Allison Nather, the space provides students with a welcome change of scenery and encourages movement throughout the school day. Similar feedback has been shared across the district, with teachers appreciating the flexibility the outdoor spaces provide, students eager to use the classrooms, and families embracing the district’s investment in innovative learning environments.

“We hope these spaces foster a lifelong appreciation for learning, nature, and community. Beyond their educational value, the outdoor classrooms create welcoming environments that encourage curiosity, collaboration, and well-being. We believe they will continue to serve as meaningful gathering spaces that support student development and strengthen each school’s sense of community. – Heather Krebs, Facilities Director, FWCS

For JPR, one of the most rewarding aspects of the project was seeing the design come to life. Members of the Fort Wayne office even traded their desks for shovels and wheelbarrows, volunteering to install soil within the raised garden beds so students could begin using the outdoor classrooms right away. That hands-on involvement reflected the same spirit of collaboration that shaped the project from the very beginning.

Outdoor classrooms do more than expand where lessons take place — they represent an investment in experiential education that shapes how students experience learning. By designing spaces that reflect each school’s unique identity and curriculum, JPR helped FWCS create lasting learning environments where curiosity can flourish, creativity can grow, and students can build confidence, collaboration, and real-world skills.

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