Harborside Academy celebrates Better World Day with community garden

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. — One of the most anticipated days of the year finally arrived for Kenosha’s Harborside Academy.

Students spent months planning a community garden – complete with a story walk, history walk and mural – to be installed at Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets, 11211 120th Ave.

The project arrived on Better World Day.

“This is where everyone is like we’re here to have fun, we’re here to spread awareness, we’re here to better the earth,” Harborside Academy junior Samantha Rose said.

Harborside Academy is a “Delta Project” charter school with a strong emphasis on active learning and community service.

“Typically, kids do work at school, it gets turned it in, and they get a grade back,” said Trent Barnhardt, Harborside Academy Principal. “This is more authentic. They’re turning in work that the community can enjoy. That the community gets to experience that work.”

The garden features a student-designed pollinator patch with native plants grown at Harborside Academy.

The story walk features books written and illustrated by students. The history walk was created in collaboration with the Pleasant Prairie Historical Society.

The mural was created by Rose. It’s set to be installed sometime this summer.

“Kids have a lot of fun on these days,” Rose said. “They pretty much say this is the best day of the school year.”