Santa Barbara Charter School has secured a $5,000 grant from the Santa Barbara Education Foundation for its innovative Meaningful Metric Measurement for the Whole School initiative.
Led by science specialist Leise Thomason, the project transforms outdoor spaces into immersive learning environments, helping students master both the metric and Imperial measurement systems.
From a rainbow path and weather station to a 30-meter blue whale mural on the basketball court, the installations invite students to engage in hands-on, playful learning while developing real-world skills.
The initiative reflects Santa Barbara Charter School’s commitment to blending education with creativity and community with a focus on experiential learning.
Thomason, who has been part of the school community for over 15 years, began as a parent volunteer and transitioned to science specialist eight years ago, holds a BA in biology from Brown University and a masters in education from Harvard. She aims to make metric measurement part of the students’ everyday experience.
“We want our students to be bilingual in measurement,” she said. “The metric system is simpler and more widely used, especially in science. “Our goal was to immerse students in it through fun, interactive experiences they encounter daily on campus.”
The grant transformed the school’s outdoor spaces into immersive learning environments. Through the efforts Thomason and parent volunteer Maria Angeles-Hoernicke, the school grounds now feature colorful, engaging installations designed to make measurement fun and intuitive.
One standout is a rainbow-colored path marked with metric units, where students measure their jumps, compare foot sizes, and estimate distances.
The 30-meter mural of a blue whale on the basketball court invites students to play on the whale’s back, with a great white shark and scuba diver nearby for added scale.
A weather station allows students to observe temperature in Celsius, and measure rainfall in centimeters. Animal footprints from squirrels to bears decorate the pathways, giving students tangible ways to compare their size with the animals around them.
“It was a really special time,” Angeles-Hoernicke said of the volunteer-driven project. “We all felt so much excitement working together to create something meaningful for the kids. Seeing them interact with the installations now is incredibly rewarding.”
With the success of the metric measurement project, Thomason said she plans to apply for more grants, focusing next on waste reduction and sustainability initiatives.