Queen of Angels gets grant for outdoor project

Students at the North Huntingdon parochial school may have new outdoor learning and play activity space next school year that will serve as space for lessons on the environment.

Queen of Angels School on Main Street was awarded a $10,000 Green Gift from Noble Environmental of Pittsburgh.

It will help create Project Genesis in a space that will help students understand how their actions impact the environment and to reconnect students with nature, said Amanda Giacobbi, president of the school’s PTO. It will evolve seasonally for both learning and play for the children.

“The children really have a unique opportunity at Queen of Angels to spend hours learning outside and developing an appreciation and respect for the natural environment,” she said.

The space, for students ranging from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, will have playground equipment, open space and a walking area, along with a raised herb garden and sundial, Giacobbi said. The area will include small storefront playhouses, possibly replicating stores in downtown Irwin.

The project, to be built in five stages, was started in early last year with the construction of a small outdoor learning space in front of the school, Giacobbi said.

“The space enables teachers to literally move their classrooms outside for parts of the day. At times, they become little tree detectives, finding ways to apply their math, science and even religion skills in the presence of God’s creations,” Giacobbi said.

Giacobbi said they are “still very much in the kickoff stage of planning,” for Project Genesis, but anticipate that construction of this project will be fluid and extend over two school years. They hope to start the first phase sometime this summer, once pandemic restrictions are lifted, Giacobbi said.

Queen of Angels received one of seven grants totalling $50,000 from Noble Environmental in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Noble Environmental also awarded grants to municipalities, police departments, mental health organizations and a service organization in Washington and Allegheny counties.

This is all being done in an effort to cultivate awareness, knowledge, appreciation, and concern for the natural environment and the effect of people’s actions upon it, said Noble Environmental, the parent firm of County Hauling, which collects residential trash in North Huntingdon.