SYCAMORE – Tim Carlson’s vision for a lively courtyard area at Sycamore High School is finally coming to fruition.

Carlson, principal of the school, always thought the courtyard area in the center of it was underutilized.

When a donation came through alumna Marian Elliott’s family for projects at the school, he saw it as a good opportunity to do something there.

“We wanted to give kids a more creative environment to work in, instead of just four brick walls,” Carlson said. “We had a committee of teachers brainstorm ideas for the space.”

The school’s courtyard area was transformed just in time for this school year.

During summer, an outdoor classroom, garden, grill, pond, creek, wind turbine, Spartan statue and solar panels were added to the courtyard area. A public dedication ceremony is planned for 4 p.m. Sept. 20 in the courtyard to display the efforts of volunteers, students and staff members.

It was named the Marian Elliott Memorial Courtyard, after the 1936 alumna who funded most of the projects with a $30,000 donation from her family to the school.

“She had a good experience in Sycamore,” Carlson said of Elliott, who died in 2012. “We hope it’s a good place for all students. It just shows the scope of those who were here, if somebody who graduated in 1936 still wants to help this school.”

Kara Poynter, agriculture instructor and FFA adviser, said she spent about two days each week this summer working on the project. Many of Poynter’s ag students, past and present, donated their time and effort as well. About 100 people volunteered to work on the project.

The centerpiece of the courtyard, a metal statue of a Spartan on a horse, was designed and created by students. The vegetables in the garden and the trees can be used by the horticulture classes, Poynter said.

“My students are so creative with their hands,” Poynter said. “They are proud of the work they’ve done.”

Carlson said he hopes students derive even more inspiration from the space once teachers get used to bringing their classes out to use the outdoor classroom.

“I’m extremely happy to see the use of the space,” Carlson said. “It gives students a place to relax and think. I like being in the sun, and I think the students will like that more than always being inside.”

Projects in the courtyard are still in the works, such as the pond and creek. A wind turbine and solar panels were installed in the area to teach students about alternative forms of energy.

Carlson said the hope is to set up lockers where students could keep their phones, which could be charged with energy generated by the wind turbine and panels. Carlson said the staff is also looking into ways to supervise the area so students can eat lunch there.

“I’m pleased with how it turned out,” Carlson said. “I can’t wait to see how we continue to use it in the future.”

Courtyard features

• Pond

• Creek

• Grill for club meetings, events

• Spartan statue

• Outdoor classroom with podium, desks, chairs

• Solar panels

• Wind turbine

• Gardening area

• Birdhouses