2023 Outdoor Laboratory of the Year
By Ken Day
Fishers Junior High School of Fishers, Indiana was selected as the 2023 Outdoor Laboratory of the Year. The award was announced at the Tree Farm Breakfast at the Indiana Hardwood Lumberman’s Association convention and presented at the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Inc. (HASTI) in Indianapolis.
The laboratory was established in the spring of 2021 while the school was still in Covid Restriction Education. Over 100 students, staff, and community members joined to plant, mulch, and water 130 research trees. All 7th graders are assigned their own research tree to collect, record, and analyze data collected each month.
The school has 16 teachers and 810 students using the outdoor laboratory. The curriculum was mainly designed by the 7th Grade Science Department with additions of English, Social Studies, and History by teachers in those departments. The curriculum utilizes information and materials from The Aldo Leopold Foundation, Project Learning Tree, and Project Wild.
The community has been involved in the outdoor laboratory. A wide variety of support has come from the school administration, Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation, City of Fishers, National Junior Honor Society, Girl Scouts of America, and Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The award is sponsored by Indiana Tree Farm which has education as one of its key objectives.
Stephen Felt Inspector of the Year
Dave Morgan Logger of the Year
Ken Day is retired Forest Supervisor of the Hoosier National Forest.