This year, IMPTSA provided a grant for the Special Education Learning Resource
Center (LRC II) to create a school garden that is accessible and designed to support
hands-on learning, social-emotional development, and life skills. Through this project,
students have gained meaningful real-world learning experiences as they work on
independence, responsibility, and teamwork.
Creating and caring for this outdoor space provides a sense of pride for students in the
program and beautifies the campus for all who pass by on their way to classes. In
addition to the sensory benefits of working in the soil, planning and planting a garden
reinforces academic skills through meaningful tasks, such as counting, measuring,
reading instructions, and journaling.
March showers brought April flowers this year, as the garden bloomed in daffodils and
tulips. With warmer weather, the students have planted strawberries, lettuce, and other
vegetables. In the summer, the Extended School Year program will harvest the garden
and donate the food to the Issaquah Food Bank.