Trees That Teach: How Our Green Campus Builds Character and Curiosity
At Premier Charter School, learning does not stop at the classroom door. It extends into the outdoors across our beautiful campus. Our outdoor spaces are intentionally designed to help students learn and grow. Nestled in the heart of South City St. Louis, every corner of our 22-acre campus offers new opportunities to explore, play, and connect, both with nature and one another.
A Day in the Life: Learning Beyond the Classroom
On any given school day, you might find a kindergarten class gathered on the grass for story time, middle school scientists collecting soil samples near the garden, or fourth graders walking the track while practicing multiplication facts. Laughter and discovery drift across the playground and soccer fields as students learn through outdoor exploration.
Our teachers intentionally use outdoor spaces to support student focus and well-being. As a National School of Character Education, we see firsthand the importance of integrating social-emotional practices into academics. Just a short walk or a simple change of scenery can transform a lesson. Whether it is a reading session under the trees, a hands-on STEM experiment, or a reflective writing activity, students and staff experience how nature nurtures both mind and body.
STEM in the Great Outdoors
PCS’s campus doubles as a living laboratory, with one of its most vibrant classrooms located in our school garden, created in partnership with Seed St. Louis. What began as a few raised beds has grown into a thriving, hands-on learning space where students witness life cycles, ecosystems, and sustainability firsthand. In science, they measure growth and record data; in art, they sketch plants and insects; and in writing, they reflect on what they observe and how they care for the environment.
Our garden is a labor of love cared for by the entire PCS community. Our Green Team, a group of dedicated students and staff, maintain garden beds and promote sustainability projects across campus. Their work models our core values, teaching students the respect, responsibility, and care needed to nurture something that grows.
Our middle school Art of Food and Science class also plays a key role by growing herbs and vegetables that become part of their cooking projects. Students explore how food connects to culture, nutrition, and the environment, blending creativity and inquiry as they taste test what they grow.
Parent volunteers from our School Beautification group help maintain the garden year-round, organize clean-up days, and special community gatherings. Most recently, they partnered with the St. Louis Public Library to host a whole-school Garden Storytime, bringing together students, families, and staff for an afternoon celebrating both reading and nature.
Every seed planted and every weed pulled represents more than just care for the earth—it is care for one another. By fostering growth and exploration, the PCS garden helps students develop connection to our campus and community.
Rooted in Stewardship Across Our 22-Acre Campus
Beyond the garden, PCS’s hands-on, outdoor learning extends across our 22-acre campus. Premier Charter School is proud to be the first school in Missouri recognized as a Tree Campus K–12 by the Arbor Day Foundation and the 2025 Missouri Arbor Award of Excellence Winner in the Business/Institution category. These honors celebrate the beauty of our campus and the dedication of our entire PCS community in integrating STEM and outdoor learning with stewardship, care, and growth.
Students, staff, and families worked together to plant 80 new native trees during the 2024-2025 school year. They helped plant, water, and even name the trees, applying lessons from the classroom to real-world environmental stewardship.
Head of Operations, Mr. Doyle, partnered with parent and arborist Adam Graham to guide the tree planting in collaboration with Forest ReLeaf. Parent committees continue to provide ongoing care, resulting in a high survival rate. To promote safety and sustainability, PCS secured funding from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to remove 13 hazardous trees and adopted MDC’s Nature Unleashed curriculum, providing more than 400 students with hands-on learning that connects science, service, and stewardship.
Head of School Dr. Julie Frugo shared:
“Planting 80 trees represents far more than beautification; it’s an investment in student wellness, environmental stewardship, and our school’s character-driven mission. These trees will grow alongside our students, reminding them that small acts of care can have a lasting impact on our community and our planet.”
These awards celebrate the power of community, with students, families, and staff working together to care for our campus and grow through the process. Every tree, garden bed, and green space reflects our commitment to cultivating stewardship, connection, and growth.
Growing Together
From the smallest seed in the garden to the tallest tree on our campus, our outdoor learning spaces reflect our commitment to our campus community. Students dig into the soil, explore ecosystems, and experiment with STEM projects, discovering lessons that go beyond textbooks. In every garden bed and under every tree, students learn through hand-on activities connecting them to the world around them.
Contact us today to learn more about Premier Charter School
Discover how Premier Charter School can help your child grow. Contact us to Start Your Story at Premier Charter School by scheduling a tour, learning more about our programs, or beginning the enrollment process today.
