Landscape Technician students at Niagara College are proving that they have a green thumb for community impact.
A class of second-year students from the Horticulture Technician – Landscape program recently won the Come Alive Outside Design Challenge, which will see their creative vision transform the schoolyard at James Morden Public School in Niagara Falls into a natural oasis.
The Come Alive Outside Design Challenge connects postsecondary students with landscape professionals to reimagine schoolyards as biodiverse ecosystems and “living laboratories.” Its goal: to move children away from screens and back into nature. While the initiative was launched over a decade ago, the project at James Morden school marks its first venture in the Niagara region.
Students secured their victory with the highest total score overall; they outshined their competitors with the highest points from industry professionals judging the competition, as well as a first-place vote from the James Morden community.
For NC Dean of Business and Environment Evan DiValentino, the competition win was a testament to the hands-on experience that has become a cornerstone of the program. He noted that while NC students often work on campus “living labs,” this project was an opportunity to bring their knowledge and skills into the heart of the community.
“Our students do incredible work on campus, but now we get to change a schoolyard in a way that will benefit students for decades,” said DiValentino. “Extending what happens in our classrooms into the community is very meaningful. It always comes back to education: they are creating the environment for future students to learn, play, and develop.”
The winning submission was a result of a class collaboration which allowed students to plant seeds for their future careers.
School of Environment and Horticulture Professor Carrie Zimmerman helped support Come Alive Outside’s venture into the Niagara area and was inspired to integrate the challenge into her Landscape Design Build class as a major project. Students worked collaboratively on the challenge during Fall term. After connecting with the James Morden community in November, they spent countless hours in the studio and submitted their entry on the last day of classes.
“Students are learning design, landscape installation and project management, so the Come Alive Design Challenge brought everything together into a real-world experience for them,” said Zimmerman. “Students collaborated and tackled it together as a class and it gave them a taste of how fast-paced the industry is. We were ecstatic to learn that we won.”
The challenge kicked off in November and tasked participants with revitalizing an outdoor area at the school that lacked shade, seating, and privacy.
Rochelle Tkach, Grade Seven Teacher at James Morden Public School, said they were excited to have such strong community partnerships caring about their students, and to see the landscaping students hard at work to making their outdoor dreams come true.
“This project is a wonderful example of what’s possible when schools and community partners learn together,” said Tkach. “When we saw the design, we immediately felt the care and creativity behind the work. The Niagara College team listened closely and incorporated so many of our ideas, resulting in a design that will enrich how students learn, play and connect with the outdoors.”
“The students’ engagement with the James Morden community and the design challenge process was truly outstanding. The designs the Niagara College team submitted for the Come Alive Outside Design Challenge showed a great deal of thoughtfulness and creativity, while clearly demonstrating that they listened to the needs of the school community, board of education, and the guidance of the landscape professionals working with them,” said Scott Wentworth, advisory board member of Come Alive Outside, Senior Landscape Architect with Wentworth Landscapes, who is also a new member of NC’s Horticulture and Landscape Program Advisory Committee.
“They should feel extremely proud of their efforts and design – the industry professionals and the James Morden community certainly are.”
NC’s design submission focused on creating spaces for inclusive, nature-based play. Their winning design – which targeted all five senses – divided the yard into four distinct nature zones: “Mustang Meadow,” a rejuvenation of the sports field; “The Corral,” a dedicated outdoor classroom for hands-on learning; “Mustang Market,” an extension of the existing vegetable garden; and “The Play Paddock,” an enhanced natural playground to boost motor skills.
“Transforming the schoolyard into an inclusive, nature-based play and learning space will give all James Morden students the chance to explore, create, and learn in meaningful ways,” noted the class in their design submission. “Ultimately, nature offers the most flexible and inspiring space for students to grow, and this design ensures they can fully experience it.”
For students like Sonja Grcar, the win was the perfect capstone to her time at NC.
“It’s really exciting that we won, to know that I was part of the actual design process and that our ideas will be coming to life,” said Grcar, who has already landed a job in the landscape design field. “I came to NC to be a landscape designer. All the connections I made through this program have been really valuable.”
While her classmate Conner Taylor is more passionate about the construction component of the program, rather than design – students gain experience in both – he valued the opportunity to make a difference in the community.
“We got hands-on experience with actual clients and got to listen to their concerns,” said Taylor. “I enjoyed interacting with the kids and knowing that we’re helping to improve their playground in a way that will help them enjoy being outdoors.”
The project is now ready to move from the drawing board to the dirt. Landscape Ontario will begin working with DSBN facilities, partners and volunteers to launch phase one of the build. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with future Niagara College students returning to the site to help bring the winning design to life.
Based at the College’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, NC’s School of Environment and Horticulture offers several programs that help students turn their passion for landscaping into a blooming career, including the two-year Horticulture Technician – Landscape and Horticulture Technician – Landscape (Co-op) diploma programs – where students learn to plan, design and develop beautiful sustainable landscapes for residential and commercial clients.
A leader in applied education, Niagara College offers diploma, bachelor degree, post-graduate and apprenticeship programs at specialized campuses in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Welland. Consistently ranked among Canada’s top research colleges, NC is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world that provide students with important hands-on-experience. NC welcomes students from across Niagara, Ontario, and around the world who are studying in in-demand programs that support key sectors and industries in Niagara and beyond, with graduates making important contributions in all corners of our community. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca
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