Nowadays, it can be tough to be indoors all the time. When it comes to going to school, the day mainly consists of countless hours sitting inside of a windowless room without seeing the sun or sky. That’s why Amy Brooks, English teacher at OMHS, thought it would be a good idea to have an outdoor space where students and teachers could learn and work together outside of the building. 

Brooks has wanted an outdoor space at OM for quite some time now, and has been raising money for an outdoor “labyrinth” while school was closed due to the pandemic. Once school came back in session, OMCA (Oakland Mills Columbia Association) helped fund the project, and helped them raise a lot of money to order a lot of equipment. “As of May 8th, we’ve raised 17,000 dollars which covers all of our expenses for an outdoor multi-use space,” Brooks said about the funding. 

The currently-empty space by the tennis courts is going to have tables and benches for classes to come out to meet and learn. During school hours this will be available for teachers and students, and after school hours, it will be open to the community to use at their leisure. 

The timing for this space is great because most students will going back into school buildings this fall, which may be uncomfortable for some because of lingering fear of the Coronavirus. This outdoor space is nice because it can lower the risk of getting the virus because there’s more fresh air and space outside. 

This new space will be a valuable addition to our school, and will help add to the community as a whole.