Third-grade student Mya George, right, shows Xen Mitchell how to play the Rush Hour game at Broad Street Elementary School's remake learning day Wednesday. EDDIE TRIZZINO/BUTLER EAGLE

Earlier this week, parents of Broad Street Elementary School students toured a community garden space; a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) classroom; and a paper airplane-making station, all right inside the school building.

The school planned the Wednesday tour for Remake Learning Days, a national initiative that advocates schools to tap community partners to lead programs around the themes of “arts, maker, outdoor learning, science, technology and youth voice.”

Broad Street Elementary School kindergarten student Emma Smith looks at the lettuce the school is growing in its garden area, which was open and on display for remake learning day Wednesday. EDDIE TRIZZINO/BUTLER EAGLE

Principal Vanessa Boyd said the school has been working to make Broad Street Elementary a “community-centered school,” so Wednesday’s program was about showing visitors how the school has used its unique assets to give back to the local community.

“Our scholars planted herbs that they are going to tend to in our garden ... (which) parents and community members are going to take care of this during the summer,” she said. “We visualized this space as a place for learning support, and it can be a therapeutic space for our students. All of this is going to be used to start our farmers market.”

Butler Area School District planned four events in connection with Remake Learning Days, a STEAM night at Emily Brittain Elementary School, a robotics and coding event at McQuistion Elementary School, and an activity day at Butler Intermediate High School about finding outlets for students’ creative voices.

According to Remake Learning Days’ website, the Southwestern Pennsylvania region had more than 175 events planned in conjunction with the organization.

Boyd said STEAM education has been important at Broad Street Elementary School since it reopened in the fall, because students can learn different knowledge and skills through hands-on activity.

“STEAM is what we’re going to do to reach all of our students,” Boyd said. “It’s going to power our education engine.”

Brooke Ealy, a fourth-grader at Broad Street Elementary School, said her favorite vegetable planted by students at the school is kale. EDDIE TRIZZINO/BUTLER EAGLE

Throughout the afternoon, students brought their parents into the school, where they could participate in the different activities. A popular spot was the school’s garden, where students showed off the herbs they planted, the lettuce growing in an incubator and the rocks they painted to decorate the space.

Students said they enjoyed making the preparations for the event.

“We planted all the seeds and watched them grow,” said fourth-grade student Brooke Ealy. “We tend and water them. We got to eat the lettuce.”

Hayleigh Dean, another fourth-grader, also found excitement in gardening.

Hayleigh Dean, a fourth-grade student at Broad Street Elementary School, points to the thyme sprout she planted at the school's garden area. EDDIE TRIZZINO/BUTLER EAGLE

“Planting is fun. I do it with my grandma,” Dean said.

The library held activities aimed more at the STEAM side of the event, where students could build structures or play brain games.

Mya George, a third-grade student at Broad Street Elementary, brought her family to the event, which a teacher said she was excited to do. George said she was having fun at the event.

“I get to show everybody the school,” George said.