UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In early December, students enrolled in a Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences course partnered with high school students in the South Fayette Township School District in McDonald to design innovative outdoor learning spaces that promote wellness and hands-on learning.
The project brought together Penn State undergraduates in Community, Environment, and Development 409: Land Use Planning and Procedure, and high school students to explore opportunities across five dimensions: locations, activities, benefits, partnerships and policies, explained Frans J.G. Padt, teaching professor of environmental policy and planning in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education.
“What made this project stand out was the way our students transformed the client’s question into meaningful research and an interactive workshop,” Padt said. “They created a process that helps the school district build outdoor education programs by leveraging its own strengths. I was especially impressed by the Penn State students’ leadership and by the enthusiasm and creativity the high school students brought to the table.”
To organize the workshop, Padt partnered with Penn State’s Sustainable Communities Collaborative, a program that pairs Penn State classes with community partners on projects identified by those partners.
“Penn State students apply their expertise to build the partner's capacity to make more informed decisions while developing critical workforce skills and experience,” said Ilona Ballreich, program director of the collaborative. “Our project with the South Fayette School District demonstrates how SCC partnership projects not only provide technical solutions or ideas but also allow our students to apply learned skills to empower the partner to take the next steps.”
During the workshop, Penn State students facilitated discussions and ideation with high school students to develop a vision for future outdoor improvements on the campus. Proposals included an outdoor recreation and adventure corridor featuring expanded trail networks, obstacle courses, archery ranges and designated drone launch areas. Another concept focused on a wetlands and environmental science hub, incorporating an outdoor amphitheater, hands-on learning areas and nature-based laboratories.
The students also envisioned a K-12 agriculture and culinary program that would expand community gardens, farm-to-table initiatives and related engineering projects. Additional ideas included athletic facility upgrades, such as new tennis courts and swimming and diving facilities, and a wellness and mindfulness landscape featuring yoga spaces, meditation trails and outdoor areas for rest and reflection.
Penn State student Gabriel Maldonado, of Gambrills, Maryland, who is studying earth science and policy, said he gained valuable insight from the experience.
“I had a lot of fun inspiring both the students and staff to think outside the box,” he said. “Having an opportunity to go and talk to those this project could benefit was a great way to see our work start to make an impact.”
Next, the South Fayette students will collaborate with community and corporate partners, distribute community surveys, map concepts onto an aerial campus plan, conduct feasibility assessments, and pursue grant funding.
“The Penn State students were terrific,” said Chuck Herring, director of student and community engagement for South Fayette School District. “They didn’t just present; they helped our kids see our campus with fresh eyes and pushed their thinking in all the right ways.”
Herring’s colleague, Matthew Callison, director of innovation and strategic partnerships for the district, agreed, noting that the collaboration delivered meaningful benefits for students at both levels.
“This was a twofold win for our students,” he said. “First, they had a real voice in shaping outdoor education on their own campus. But equally important, our students regularly engage in smaller versions of this kind of project work. Seeing Penn State students model the full arc — from large-scale collaborative research to designing an interactive workshop — showed them what that work looks like at the next level. That’s a powerful model.”