Permanent link for Rooted in Community: How Sue Blackall Turned Classrooms into Change on October 24, 2025

Sue Blackall is more than just your average retiree. With more than 30 years of teaching experience, she’s left one of the biggest footprints in the Village of Sparta, though if you ask her, the real imprint belongs to her students.

As a longtime science teacher, Sue found ways to take learning beyond the classroom and into the soil. Her students built rain gardens, restored local creeks, and connected with community partners to make their projects come alive.

“The real advantage of being mostly outdoor projects,” she said, “is that [the kids] can see it. You drive through town or around the school, and there it is—our middle school rain garden ditch. This is our third year, and it’s beautiful. You can just go for a walk and see what you’ve done.”

That visibility, she explained, helps students understand that their work matters. And just as importantly, it builds bridges with the community. 

Her projects weren’t just about planting trees or managing runoff—they were about planting relationships. Through partnerships with Groundswell and local organizations, students learned from people who cared deeply about the same things they did. “Having these students look up to folks who care about the environment and their community can make a huge impact,” Sue said. “They start to see themselves as stewards.”

Sue also made sure to show gratitude for those who helped make each project possible. “Students and I always thank the partners,” she said. “I’ll even put an article in our Sparta Today paper with pictures and their names. It’s seeing how the children are inspired, and the partners [are] seeing the students involved. It’s the future right there.”

Partnerships also brought crucial resources to every project. “When I get a Groundswell grant, it’s usually enough to cover the plants,” she said. “But the partners are the ones providing everything else needed to really install the project.”

Even after retirement, Sue’s lessons still take root all over Sparta. They live on in the rain gardens that line the schoolyard, the creek beds students helped restore, and the confidence of young people who learned how to care for their community.

Sue Blackall, champion of stewardship in The Village of Sparta.

Sue Blackall, champion of stewardship in The Village of Sparta, and Allison Palm, Place-based Education Specialist talking about Groundswell Partnerships.

Posted by Elana Burns on Permanent link for Rooted in Community: How Sue Blackall Turned Classrooms into Change on October 24, 2025.