COOK COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - Cook Primary School has officially reached its $12,000 fundraising goal to build a new outdoor literacy garden, hitting the milestone before the event even began at 8 a.m. on Friday.

The school hosted its annual WeRun fundraiser, which doubled as an opportunity for parents to come to campus, cheer on students, and learn more about the project. The outdoor literacy garden is designed to take reading and learning beyond the traditional classroom, giving students a hands-on space to explore, read, and connect with nature.

The learning area will be able to hold up to 48 students, nearly the size of four full classrooms. School leaders say the goal is to make learning more exciting, engaging, and interactive for young students.

Principal Jeanne Dixon said parent involvement played a major role in reaching the goal so quickly.

“We are so excited to invite all of our parents out because we have been doing a fundraiser to bring learning outside,” Dixon said. “Usually learning happens inside in the classroom, we want to make it fun at Cook Primary, not just for our teachers but for our students, so our parents are here supporting that fundraiser.”

Parents told WALB the idea of an outdoor classroom gives their children something to look forward to every day.

Parent Tiffany Hand says learning outside gives students a chance to reset.

“Having an outdoor classroom allows the kids to not be inside the classroom all day long and then allows them to be more free and in a new environment,” Hand said. “It helps them focus a little more and get some energy out. I know my kid is super excited, and I think it’s going to be a wonderful new thing for the kids.”

Support didn’t stop in Cook County. Donors from 27 states contributed to help the school reach and surpass its goal. Parents say they’re grateful their children attend a school that prioritizes creativity and invests heavily in making learning fun.

“It’s wonderful to see a school pour so much back into the kids and be so focused on the children and wanting to make learning fun,” Hand said.

School leaders say that although the $12,000 goal has been met, donations are still being accepted. Extra funds will support additional renovations and enhancements to expand the outdoor space even further.

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