Residents —young and old — from throughout the area gathered on Churchton Street Tuesday afternoon with gloves and shovels in an effort to take part in a community project designed to develop an outdoor classroom program within the city.

The Laurel Continental Societies, Inc., has partnered with the City of Laurel, the Laurel School District, Mississippi State University, the Jones County Extension Service and the Lauren Rogers Museum are working to create this outdoor classroom program.

Along with the partners, various workers with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Mississippi soil and Water Conservation along with several local residents attended the program’s first planting session on Tuesday.

Students from Oak Park and Stainton Elementary Schools, along with the Continental Societies, the Jones County Soil and Water Conservation, The Shade Eliminator, the Laurel Federated Club and the Laurel Tree Board took part in planting the first trees at the Outdoor Classroom Garden.

Jamar Jackson, principal at Oak Park Elementary School, said 18 students from Oak Park and 10 students from Stainton took part in the project.

“This is a great thing for our community,” Jackson said. “It’s going to teach the students responsibility, instill pride and help them to explore the other opportunities available to them.

Laurel Mayor Melvin Mack praised Doncella Milton, who is the national public relations officer for the Continental Societies, for her work on this project.

Mack said Milton and all those involved are creating a wonderful learning opportunity for the residents of Laurel.

Milton said she’s pleased with the number of people who turned out for the planting.

“It’s been a wonderful day,” she said. “We have gotten so much cooperation ... and the community really came out and supported us.”

Milton said the facility will be a safe place where children and youth can learn to express themselves in an extended classroom surrounded by the wonders of nature.

“We believe when parents, teachers and the community work together on projects like Outdoor Classrooms, a place where students are engaged in hands on experience outside the traditional classroom setting, everyone succeeds,” Milton said. “The program is a way teachers can provide students with learning opportunities that strengthen natural science lessons, teach students the importance of natural resources through environmental education, and enhance classroom work in mathematics, reading, writing, history and the arts.”

Kris Pierce, a fifth grade science teacher at Oak Park, agreed.

Pierce said the outdoor classroom project and Tuesday’s planting coincides with what’s being taught in his class.

“We have just completed talking about life science and we are currently studying earth science,” he said. “All of this today goes along with our classroom work.” Milton said the outdoor classroom will consist of several small raised flower beds where the students will plant flowers and trees while learning horticulture science.”