Highland Elementary: an outdoor learning space for an overcrowded school
Highland Arts Elementary in Mesa, Arizona — a Title I school of 700 students so full the library became classrooms — gained a shaded outdoor learning space through Lowe's 100 Hometowns programme.
- Recipient
- Highland Elementary School, Mesa, AZ
- Funder
- Lowe's Companies, Inc.
- Programme
- Lowe's 100 Hometowns
- Year
- 2021
- Verified
- 2026-10-16
The challenge
Highland Arts Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona was bursting at the seams: with 700 students, the school had converted part of its library into classrooms and still lacked space. The school serves many students from low-income families and a significant number of special-needs and neurodiverse students who struggled with the noise of the cafeteria at lunch.
The funding
The school applied to Lowe's 100 Hometowns programme — part of a five-year, $100 million community commitment — and was selected for an outdoor learning space project. The individual award amount was not publicly disclosed.
What was delivered
Lowe's volunteers, joined by Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle and Lowe's Home Team member Kelvin Beachum, built an outdoor space with a shaded covering, a mural, outdoor games and a refreshed garden — designed for outdoor learning, individual and group study, outdoor lunch and a calmer environment for students who need one.
Who benefits
All 700 students gained new learning and play space, with particular benefit for the school's special-needs students. Community groups that use the school facility through the year also use the space.
Lessons for other schools
The project was nominated by the school's own principal with a clear explanation of need, community context and who would benefit — a reminder that corporate community programmes often fund specific, well-described space projects at individual schools.
Sources & citations
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