Outdoor Classroom

Worth County Primary School
Outdoor Classroom
1304 N. Isabella St.
Sylvester, Georgia
229.776.8660

"A child needs the companionship of at least one adult to rediscover with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in."
                            Rachel Carson

Since opening in the fall of 1995, WCPS has had the goal of educating kindergarten through second grade students to respect and protect the natural environment by making ecology an important part of the school's curriculum.  We believe that teaching students to be stewards of the earth will instill respect for life and prepare them to be responsible, caring adults.
     When we moved into the building, the grounds were typical of those at newly constructed buildings, hard packed clay and no sign of plant or animal life.  The outdoor classroom project was formed with the goal of establishing biodiversity around the school grounds, enhancing the adjacent natural wooded area for the benefit of wildlife and humans, providing for hands-on environmental instruction and providing a place of beauty for all to enjoy. The outdoor classroom project includes a nature trail, classroom gardens, and a school garden - The Lamb's Yard.   The Outdoor Classroom Student Advisory Council meets with the chairman of the Outdoor Classroom Committee to provide input on the planning and needs of the outdoor classroom.

Recognitions and Awards

  1. National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Habitat Spring 1996
  2. Schoolyard Habitat Fall 1996
  3. Monarch Way Station by Monarch Watch (#184) 1996
  4. Pollinator Garden (#4) through the GA Pollinator Habitat Certification Program 1996
  5. School Bell winner, Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals, 2000
  6. Mary Beth Cary and Diane Shaw named 2002 Scotts Give Back to Grow Classroom Gardeners of the Year
  7. The Memory Garden is featured in Grace from the Garden: Changing the World One Garden at a Time by Deborah Landwehr Engle.
  8. 2004 SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Fujifilm Environmental Excellence Award
  9. Keep GA Beautiful 2005 School Beautification & Community Improvement Award
  10. Monarch Citizen Science at WCPS featured on One Species   at a Time Google Earth Tour video and podcast http://atlantic.org/national/one-species-at-atime/google-earth-tours


As education has changed through the years, so has the WCPS Outdoor Classroom. The individual classroom gardens were removed and replaced with six hall garden thanks to an Operation Round-Up Grant from Mitchell EMC. They were completed in time for the 2014-15 school year.A Kiwanis Foundation Grant matched by the Sylvester Kiwanis Club in 2013 allowed for edging to be installed in the Lamb’s Yard. A generous anonymous matching donations provided six trash cans placed in strategic areas around the school.
Strong support from the community, Worth County Board of Education, parents, faculty, and staff has allowed the WCPS Outdoor Classroom to grow and thrive.