Outdoor Working Lab
A Mission-Driven Space for All
Being immersed in nature can positively impact your brain performance and well-being.
That’s why we intentionally integrate our mountain and 600-acre campus into all aspects of our program. Thanks to a generous gift from the Chiang Family (Michelle Chiang ’19), IMS recently built a net-zero, environmentally-focused outdoor research classroom at the base of our mountain that honors our belief in the power of nature on the brain.
The Outdoor Working Lab, or the “OWL,” as we like to call it, not only facilitates our commitment to environmental stewardship through our curricula, it serves as a community and gathering space. While students can study data from our new solar array and analyze biological matter in the wet lab, they also attend and perform in outdoor concerts on the sitting deck or enjoy evening fire pits. It’s safe to say that the OWL has quickly become a favorite spot on campus.
A 'Net-Zero' Building
Our new 1,500-square-foot structure, located beyond the athletic fields toward the base of the mountain, is powered by renewable energy through our solar array, which was generously donated by IMS alumni. Inside the OWL, the line separating classroom and nature is blurred. In this setting, reading and discussing a book in English class becomes a transformative experience. Science classes have direct access to test and analyze collected rain water or materials from our ponds. Outdoor community spaces allow our students to spend quality time with friends. Year-round, it allows our students in Pre-K through Grade 9 to learn, become inspired, practice mindfulness, explore, play, and grow.
1,500 Square Foot Facility
Our new OWL building includes breathtaking views of our mountain and ponds, a wet lab for scientific discovery, a sitting deck, and a fire pit.
Solar Array
A 400-Kilowatt solar array powers our Outdoor Working Lab and provides students ample opportunity to study real-time data.
A Net-Zero Building
The energy-efficient OWL generates as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis.
A Learning and Community Space
Open to both campuses, the OWL serves as a learning space as well as a space to gather for events and special occasions.
Our View of the Future
Courage means something different to each student. Learn how it’s shaping the collective IMS experience now and in years to come.