What started as a setback became a vision for a new kind of learning space at Smith Elementary School. 

After a fire in a portable room in 2024, the school community faced a decision. Rather than rushing to replace what was lost, Smith’s leadership, working closely with the District’s Operations, Maintenance, and Grounds teams, paused to ask a different question: What would best serve students now and in the future?

That question sparked a shift in thinking. When the idea of creating a garden emerged, the conversation moved from rebuilding to reimagining an unused space into something meaningful, hands-on, and lasting. It was a moment that reflected a shared belief across the Smith community and the District: that learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door and that every part of a campus can support student growth.

Bringing this vision to life became a true community effort. District teams worked alongside site leadership to prepare and transform the area, clearing and grading the land, ensuring safety and accessibility, and creating a space ready for student use. At the same time, families, staff, and volunteers began to rally around a bigger idea: using the garden as the foundation for Smith’s first-ever 4-H program.

For Smith parent, Jessica Budica, the idea was rooted in both research and personal experience. Inspired by the benefits of outdoor learning and its positive impact on student focus, behavior, and well-being, she saw the garden as more than a beautification project; it was an opportunity to create meaningful, experiential learning for all students.

“We know that education is almost entirely delivered indoors, yet research shows how powerful learning in nature can be,”  Jessica Budica shared. “I wanted to take what we know helps developing minds and put it into practice in a way that is accessible to every family.”

While Smith had a garden program, the 4-H model offered something more: structured curriculum, leadership development, stewardship, and access to a broader network of support. With encouragement from the PTA, school leadership, and the Orange County 4-H program, the Smith 4-H initiative took root.

With persistence, creativity, and deep-rooted partnership, the school secured funding through Agriculture in the Classroom and a Whole Foods-funded grant, coordinated by dedicated PTA parents. Community partners like Lowe’s and Home Depot donated essential materials, while the heavy lifting was a true community affair: The HBCSD Grounds and Maintenance and operations teams brought in decomposed granite and leveled the space so that Smith families and Dwyer Middle School student volunteers spent hours hauling soil andbuilding beds.

“The students love it, and they want more,” Jessica said. “They want to be in the dirt, and the benefits go far beyond academics.”

That enthusiasm speaks to the heart of the program. Through the garden and 4-H activities, students are learning responsibility, collaboration, leadership, and environmental stewardship, while also building confidence, curiosity, and connection to their school community.

From a district perspective, the project stands as a powerful example of Purpose in Action. What could have remained an unused space is now a living, breathing classroom in nature, made possible through collaboration across departments, strong school leadership, engaged families, and a shared commitment to student-centered learning.

“Seeing this space come to life has been incredible,” said Principal Maria Ashton. “It shows our students that even when something unexpected happens, we can come together, reimagine what’s possible, and build something even stronger.”

For Smith Surfers, a setback became a seed, and that seed is already growing into something extraordinary.