Ashley Barkley’s outdoor learning lab began with a simple but powerful question: what would it look like if students could learn outside the walls of the building in a space built by and for their community?

Through the LCPS fellowship, Ashley turned that question into action. She worked directly with students to understand what would make them excited to come to school, what kind of space would help them learn, and how the school grounds could become something more than just the area around the building. What emerged was a vision for an outdoor learning lab where science can come alive, literacy can happen under the trees, and learning can feel more open, relational, and connected to the real world.

This project is about more than building an outdoor classroom. It is about creating a space that reflects belonging, curiosity, and community ownership. Research continues to show the academic, social, and emotional benefits of outdoor learning, but what makes this project especially meaningful is the way it has been built. Ashley did not approach this as a top-down initiative. She built it through relationships, student voice, and shared vision.

That spirit of collaboration is already taking root. Community partners like Luck Stone have stepped in not just as supporters, but as true partners, helping bring the project to life in tangible ways. Their involvement shows what is possible when schools and local organizations come together around a shared commitment to students.

Your support will help turn this vision into a lasting learning space for students and educators. Every contribution helps build a place where learning feels alive, where students feel connected, and where a school community can gather, explore, and grow together.

This is what human-centered education looks like. This is what it looks like when a school and a community build something meaningful together.

Changing the world one classroom at a time

Our Mission

As a 501c3 Nonprofit, our mission is to elevate a child’s creativity and interests alongside traditional academic metrics, fostering passion-driven learning with real community impact.

To be a Thinkerer is to be a curious changemaker, open to solving longstanding challenges with fresh ideas.

We collaborate with leading organizations, educators, and innovators to create pathways that nurture student passions. By humanizing education, we aggregate and analyze learning experiences, building a global framework that values creativity and curiosity as essential to academic and personal growth.

Ashley Barkley - Creating an Outdoor Learning Ecosystem

By Thinkering Collective

Ashley Barkley - Creating an Outdoor Learning Ecosystem

A partnership with LCPS and Thinkering Collective