A Sensory Garden Improves Student Well-Being in Cortez

Students at Southwest Open School, Cortez’s alternative high school, lack a dedicated outdoor space where they can step away, regulate their emotions, and engage in hands-on activities that support their well-being. A student at Southwest Open School reached out to LOR with a solution: purchase tools and supplies to create a sensory garden on campus. LOR’s funding will help Southwest Open School purchase native plants from a local nursery, two garden swings, garden tools and gloves, high tunnel water retention and seed protection supplies, and materials for a mural. The garden will give students a consistent place to reset and refocus, helping them thrive in and outside the classroom.