BCEF fundraising for outdoor learning lab at Batesville Middle School

(BATESVILLE, Ind.) – The Batesville Community Education Foundation is hoping to raise $50,000 for an outdoor learning lab.

The Eco Lab would be located at Batesville Middle School and would include tiered seating, a gazebo, solar ovens, raised garden beds, and even some indoor items to support the STEAM curriculum. 

The fundraising campaign coincides with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the middle school. 

“Many of our citizens remember when BMS opened its doors for the first time in 1975 on the site where the old high school used to stand,” said Anne Wilson, BCEF Executive Director. “They will likely recall the classroom layouts and the commons, but another unique feature was an innovative outdoor learning area on the north end of the building. Shaded by trees and built with railroad ties, it served as a multi-purpose space for learning and was a student favorite.”

Batesville Middle School Principal Dave Strouse said the outdoor space is ideal for students who thrive outside of the traditional classroom. 

“The outdoor learning classroom would offer hands-on, engaging, and critical thinking experiences that connect academic learning with real-world application.  Our goal is to create lifelong learners who are thoughtful, engaged citizens in their community who are connected to their environment,” Strouse said. 

Donations to the BCEF Annual Campaign are requested by September 30. More information about the project is available at the foundation’s website: www.BatesvilleEducationFoundation.org.

BCEF has donated more than $540,000 toward flexible learning components at all four school buildings since its annual campaigns were launched nearly ten years ago.