Earth Day 2025 at Lansing Elementary: Murals, Gardens, and a Vision for the Future

This Earth Day, Lansing Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado, blossomed with creativity, collaboration, and community spirit. In partnership with The Walls Project, students, educators, and local artists came together for a week of hands-on environmental learning and school beautification—turning once-ordinary spaces into inspiring hubs of art and growth.

Over the course of several days, more than 200 students participated in transforming the school's two central courtyards through the creation of two large-scale murals. Designed by local artists Sandra Fettingus and Jules Mendoza, the murals centered around themes of healthy living, child nutrition, environmental sustainability, and education. Students were not just spectators; they were the painters, the storytellers, and the visionaries behind the brushstrokes.

In addition to the murals, the Walls Project team and volunteers helped revitalize the school’s existing raised garden beds, prepping the soil for spring planting and helping bring life back into a previously underused space. We also prepared 10 heritage apple trees for planting this fall, the first step toward creating Lansing’s very own school food forest, a long-term project that will provide shade, nutrition, and learning opportunities for years to come.

What made this Earth Day particularly special was the level of student engagement. From painting to planting, students were involved in every step, connecting with their environment, their school, and each other in meaningful ways. These projects don’t just beautify campuses; they build ownership, pride, and a sense of agency in young learners.

We’re so proud of what was accomplished at Lansing and look forward to continuing this momentum. Plans are already in motion to plant the apple trees before winter and launch a large-scale school garden build in Spring 2026. With strong partnerships and continued community support, Lansing Elementary is well on its way to becoming a model for creative, sustainable, and student-centered school transformation.

Stay tuned, and thank you to everyone who helped bring this vision to life.