MIDLAND, Texas — The Young Women's Leadership Academy's outdoor space isn't just about growing plants, it's about growing minds.
Laura Doughty, the principal at YWLA, said this space is meant to get the students outside of the traditional four walls of the classroom and come into a space to read, learn and experience new things.
The students are definitely excited about it as well.
"Right now, we do all of our work inside the classrooms and using our Chromebooks, but being able to walk outside and do everything hands on is going to be a completely different mode of education that I'm super excited for," said Lauren Ramos, a junior at YWLA.
The revamped space took about five years to complete. However, thanks to a long standing relationship with Exxon, the vision finally came to fruition.
"Exxon Mobil has been a great partner in education since the beginning of Young Women's Leadership Academy," Principal Doughty said. "They had some money set away for the project so when we moved in, we talked about our dreams of what this space could look like and they were more than willing and ready to go.
YWLA and the Midland Independent School District worked with Extreme Exterior to create the greenhouse project that would be sustainable for years to come.
The greenhouse and classroom area was designed as a way to inspire and impact every student's educational experience.
"We think about about every space on the campus and what kind of learning opportunities we can utilize that for," said Stephanie Howard, superintendent for MISD. "A greenhouse is an outdoor learning space and so very excited to have this space. It also makes the campus look nice, which matters when you think about culture and the way our students feel when they [are] on our campuses."
Now students at YWLA have a beautiful and functional learning space.
The plants grown on campus will eventually make their way out to the public, according to Principal Doughty.
"We're going to be using our teen leadership courses to work out in the area and partner with some of the non-profits and organizations where we can donate these plants and possibly sell them to raise funds to put back into [the greenhouse and xeriscaping lab]," said Principal Doughty.
Doughty also said that most of all, YWLA is working to raise leaders and show them how to give back to a community that pours into them.
"We're really excited for all the things that the girls can learn, how they will be able to incorporate it in their sciences, especially as we’re starting to add advanced placement courses in environmental sciences," Principal Doughty said. "We’re excited for all the things the girls can learn, but then how they can give back to the community.”
This campus has set the standard for environmental stewardship and the next generation of leaders and innovators might have a green thumb too.