Building a greenhouse that will become an outdoor laboratory for students and a hallmark of experiential learning at Whitefish High School is coming to fruition.

When the school’s aging greenhouse was demolished during school reconstruction, students in the Freeflow and environmental clubs were driven to raise money for another one.

In February, the clubs surpassed a $50,000 goal and raised $70,000 with support of local philanthropists Richard and Carol Atkinson.

Earth sciences teacher and Freeflow adviser Eric Sawtelle said students have put a lot of effort in every aspect of the greenhouse project, which included giving presentations to local businesses during the fundraising campaign.

“I’m really impressed with their initiative and drive and willingness to make this happen,” Sawtelle said. “I think it’s a really powerful part of learning and being part of the community.”

More money means students, staff and community stakeholders can dream bigger in designing a self-sustaining program. Greenhouse planners are  thinking about aquaponics systems and raising fish along with vegetables and herbs. Sawtelle said students want their school work to make an impact.

“Students are driven to do real-world things and have their work be meaningful,” Sawtelle said.

The high school is developing an educational program tentatively titled the Sustainable Energy, Agriculture and Entrepreneurship program.

Still in the research phase, site visits are being planned to various farms, greenhouses and Flathead Valley Community College to dig into what an educational program might look like for kindergarten through 12th grade, Whitefish School Superintendent Heather Davis Schmidt said during a board meeting last week.

“Right now we are in the process of really drafting that expanded instructional vision,” Davis Schmidt said later. “Our curriculum director is identifying many of the instructional programs we already have in place around sustainable energy and agriculture so we can get a feel for what we’re already doing.”

 English teacher Nikki Reed and Food Services Director Jay Stagg have taken an active interest in the greenhouse project with the hope that the greenhouse will add to curriculum across subjects such as science, engineering, English and business in addition to agriculture and food systems.

“There’s a cohort of teachers that have been working on interdisciplinary courses around food systems,” Sawtelle said.

In August, a group of about 30 people toured the Groundswell Network Society in Invermere, British Columbia. Groundswell is a sustainable living program with a community greenhouse and programming for schools.

The Whitefish greenhouse will be on school property at Pine Avenue and East Seventh Street between the high school and Muldown Elementary. It will be near the Lions Club Farm to School Garden tended by Whitefish Middle School students.

“It’s a great location,” Sawtelle said. “There will be a connection to the high school, elementary and a little walk for the middle school.”

The district’s tentative timeline is to have an instructional design and feasibility study completed in October and November, select an architect and engineer in December and break ground for a greenhouse by spring 2016.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.