JEH Elementary School has opened an outdoor classroom where nearly 300 students learn science, engineering and art through hands-on stations built with a Foundation 65 grant.

The Evanston school's new outdoor STEAM classroom features a water wall, a music wall and a mud kitchen. Students use the installations to experiment with sound, water flow and building, according to Foundation 65, the nonprofit that funded the project's materials.

Educators Mirza Campos and Patrina Gregory led the project to close access gaps in STEAM education for BIPOC students and English language learners at the school. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

"It's exciting to see what we envision and the possibility of seeing it come true," Campos said.

Foundation 65 awarded the grant as part of its 2024-2025 school year funding cycle. The nonprofit has invested more than $3 million in District 65 programs as of August 2024. The grant amount for the JEH classroom was not publicly disclosed.

The grant description said the outdoor space promotes inquiry-based learning and fosters a connection with nature through real-world exploration.

To prepare for the new space, JEH teachers completed a six-unit professional development course through the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, or IMSA, and its Little STEAMers program. IMSA describes Little STEAMers as a play-based enrichment curriculum for early childhood students, aligned with the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards.

The training equipped teachers with instructional strategies for bringing STEAM principles into outdoor settings. It was shared with all preschool teachers at JEH, and Foundation 65 said the lessons were incorporated schoolwide during the 2024-2025 school year.

Beyond academics, the outdoor classroom serves as a space for social-emotional learning. Students practice collaboration, self-regulation and turn-taking during shared activities. Foundation 65 said the setting supports trauma-informed education and encourages healthy risk-taking.

A June 2025 Foundation 65 recap of its 16 funded grants described the classroom as "sparking curiosity for hundreds of students." The recap said the stations were "designed to close the gap in access to science and art experiences for BIPOC students."

The training from IMSA now reaches every preschool classroom at JEH.