Ken
Marquart
The Courtyard at John Taylor Collegiate
The courtyard at John Taylor Collegiate has been neglected and underutilized for years; however, it is a space with amazing potential. As it is physically placed in the middle of the school, it should be a gathering place for all students and staff.
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This has been a topic that staff have spoken about for years, although the undertaking is substantial. The recent construction project at the school, which includes a new ramp to make the space accessible to all students, has left the courtyard as a blank slate.
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To allow for student and staff voice, surveys were administered to both groups to determine the priorities that they had for the space.
The top four priorities for students and staff were the same: comfortable seating, a stone patio, a pergola, and planter boxes.
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Due to these results, smaller, modular pieces were prioritized while funding was addressed for the more costly priorities.
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The next step was to procure funds. After being denied for a grant through RBC, I set my sights on an attainable grant that would involve students though LSF (Living for a Sustainable Future). My psychology class attended a series of workshops related to climate change. Their take action project involved producing vegetables in the courtyard in planter boxes. They found a local builder who constructed 6 cedar planter boxes. They also found gardening supplies through local greenhouses, such as seeds and an automatic waterer. This was funded through a $400 grant from LSF.
I then focused on another modular piece that was identified as a priority for both staff and students: comfortable seating. I spoke to our woods teacher to see if this was something that we could have students involved with and he agreed. We worked together to come up with a design for four outdoor benches.
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I approached a local building supplies chain, McMunn and Yates, for either a donation or for subsidized materials. They donated $655 in materials. such as pressure treated lumber and deck screws. I then approached Rona and they subsidized composite decking for the project.
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The students were able to contribute significantly in the construction of the benches prior to remote learning starting in Winnipeg on May 13th and continuing until the end of the school year.
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The final assembly, due to the movement to remote learning, was completed by the woods teacher and an educational assistant.
As the construction of the benches was occurring, I was simultaneously applying for grants and designing the space. For the latter, I consulted with staff, the student leadership team, and Indigenous elders. The three designs below changed as a result of the feedback provided.
After finalizing the design, I submitted the plans to two landscape companies to provide quotes for the pergola and stone patio. I am still in the process of grant writing for this phase of the project to be realized. The quotes came in at $19, 695 and $24, 059. The less expensive option is based on the school purchasing a pergola kit and the company assembling it, whereas the other quote includes the construction of a custom pergola.
Overall, this phase of the project was very enjoyable as it allowed for collaboration with students, staff, businesses, administrators from other schools during a site visit and interviews, Indigenous elders, and others.
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It also allowed me to assume a role that was foreign to me and gain skills navigating the bureaucracy within the division, which also proved to be challenging.
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It is my hope that the space becomes an extension of the classroom and students and staff benefit from the space, whether it be from learning outdoors, participating in cultural ceremonies, or having a space to relax and rejuvenate.
