By Angel Jin, ISB Communications
Published on Friday, February 21
As the International School of Beijing (ISB) moves into Spring and embraces more outdoor learning, it is a great time to highlight one of these opportunities. ISB’s rooftop garden—an innovative space that enhances hands-on learning, curiosity, community engagement, and encourages a deeper connection with Sustainability, one of our Strategic Focus Areas.
ISB recognizes that education is evolving beyond traditional classrooms, that is why we are increasingly exploring how we can use outdoor spaces to enrich learning experiences. The ISB rooftop garden, completed in August 2022, is not just an addition to our world-class facilities but a testament to student-led projects. High School students played an integral role in designing the space, collaborating with ISB’s Sustainability Manager, Paola Alonso. From measuring and engineering to personalizing blueprints, these students transformed their vision into reality with the support of our Facilities department. The result? A thriving green space that enhances both challenging and joyful learning and well-being.
This rooftop sanctuary serves as an outdoor classroom accessible to all grade levels. From HS Socratic seminars exploring how nature influences human connection to ES hands-on science lessons about pollinators, the space offers diverse learning opportunities. Early Years learners enjoy hands-on experiences, playing with soil and developing an early appreciation for nature—an essential step in nurturing lifelong environmental stewardship. Elementary School students plant and harvest vegetables, while MS classes display sculptures made in art class, blending creativity with nature.
Beyond curriculum-linked activities, the garden fosters community building. This not only includes students, but ISB staff too. For instance, our after-school Adult Wellness Activity, Dragons in the Garden sees a group of over 40 staff members participating in planting and harvesting in the rooftop garden, emphasizing that the space is for the entire community.
Additionally, the ISB rooftop garden aligns with the school’s Sustainability Action Plan, supporting its core pillars: People, Planet, Purpose. Everything grown is fully organic, free of pesticides, and harvested every season. Students gain firsthand experience in nurturing plants from seed to harvest, learning the value of patience, care, and responsibility. Through these experiences, they develop a personal connection with nature, fostering an appreciation for healthy, local food sources.
The success of the garden shows the dedication of ISB’s educators, whose time, patience, and commitment ensure that it thrives as both a learning space and a place of connection. Their efforts in integrating gardening into education highlight the value they see in hands-on, experiential learning—an approach that requires care and persistence but yields lasting rewards.
The rooftop garden at ISB demonstrates the power of outdoor spaces in fostering challenging and joyful learning. By allowing students to interact with nature hands-on, ISB helps instill values of sustainability, wellness, and curiosity. When children engage with nature at an early age, they develop a sense of care and responsibility, which stays with them beyond their school years. The ISB rooftop garden is not just a space for learning—it is a space for growth, community, and a sustainable future.