‘Discovery Garden’ at McKinley a place where learning can grow
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STEUBENVILLE -- Students at McKinley STEM Academy will have the chance to study in an outdoor learning center and preserve the memory of a beloved teacher thanks to a new project announced Tuesday.
“Our vision is to create a space where learning can move beyond the walls of our classroom,” Principal Lynnett Gorman said during a presentation at the school, which focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “We envision raised garden beds filled with fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. It will be an area where students can study plants and pollinators, and offer opportunities to learn about nutrition and where our food comes from.”
The area will be named the Mia Stubbs Seeds of Discovery Garden. Stubbs was a preschool teacher at McKinley who died of cancer April 7, 2024, at the age of 36.
“She touched the lives of so many of our youngest learners, and her connection to McKinley continues through the many people who loved her, including her two children (Quinn Stubbs and Gary Stubbs III) who are part of our McKinley STEM family today,” Gorman continued.
“We can think of no more fitting tribute to an educator than a place where children will come to wonder, explore, discover and grow. Just as Mia helped plant the seed of learning in her preschool students, her name will now forever be connected to a place where new seeds are literally being planted for generations of McKinley students.”
Gary Stubbs, the late teacher’s husband, was among the many family members who were part of the presentation held in the school’s gymnasium. He said the area carries a special meaning.
“First and foremost, it shows a sense of community,” he explained. “I was a graduate of Steubenville High School, and Mia was a graduate of Catholic Central High School and building her career here. It means much more than just getting support and acknowledgment. It’s about the community coming together, being part of something bigger and looking out for the other person.
“I grew up with my mom and dad, and they said to be a good person -- I got it,” Stubbs continued. “That’s what Mia wanted for our kids, and we wanted to see her achievements. Obviously, that got cut short, and I think with the school system allowing for something like to happen, it allows her name and her spirit to live on through education, community and family.”
Stubbs added that showing children that there are people who are concerned with their future is important.
“It means more than getting recognition,” he said. “It means providing more opportunities for kids and their families. It shows that even though they might experience some type of hardship, the community can back you up, and they will always be there for you.”
Partial funding for the learning center is coming through the pledge of a $20,000 donation from Ascent Resources. The company has already showed its commitment to the school, having donated all of the supplies for the students, a contribution that helped save money for their families, Gorman explained.
Also helping with the garden, which will be located near the school’s greenhouse, is Jacob Ramsey. In addition to having helped raise funding, he will construct and install five raised garden beds that will become integral parts of the learning center as his Eagle Scout project.
“I chose this as my Eagle Scout project to help the kids out,” said Ramsey, who is an 11th-grader in the power mechanics program at the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School and has been involved in Scouting for about 10 years.
The raised beds, he explained, will give students a place to learn about gardening and agriculture for many years.
His mother, Heather Ramsey, McKinley’s ag lab director, said her son got the inspiration to help from when she taught at Pugliese West Elementary School and Jacob would come with her during the summer and help the students there weed and water that school’s garden area.
“We were talking about potential Eagle Scout projects, and that came up, and he ran with it because he had seen the benefits of the kids learning,” she said.
Jacob Ramsey’s father, Mike Waldeck, also earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
The assembly included the unveiling of the sign that will be placed at the learning center. It was obtained thanks to the efforts of Patrick McLaughlin and Nelson Fine Art and Gifts.
After the presentation, Gorman said involvement of area residents and business s important.
“It takes community partnerships to support a STEM school, like we have here,” she said. “Our board of education has been fabulous in providing the programs inside the building for STEM. But we just felt like we needed to get the students who primarily grew up in an urban setting, get them outdoors and get their hands dirty and involved with nature and learning about health and nutrition.
“That $20,000 is just the beginning -- we’re always looking for more community partners toward the Mia Stubbs Outdoor Learning Center,” she added.
Gorman told her students the development of the space should be an example of how projects can spring from just a few thoughts.
“When you eventually walk into and around our new outdoor learning center, I want you to remember this day,” she told the students during the assembly. “Before there were gardens, hallways, learning places and plants growing here, this was an idea. Then people like Jacob and our friends at Ascent Resources stepped forward and said, ‘We want to make this happen.’ It’s a pretty good example of what we teach you here every day -- great ideas begin with an idea.
“We create, we innovate and together we make the idea real, and we can’t wait for all of you to watch this space grow and become the next chapter in learning at McKinley STEM,” she added.