The deficiency of environmental understanding in conjunction with community and educational connections, isolates a problem. Few connections exist between the school, community, and the environment. Because of this, existing connections need to be enhanced and other connections need to be created. These linkages are essential to instilling ownership and stewardship of the land for the entire community. In addition, these linkages also provide vast opportunities for learning, observing, participating, and enjoying the environment.This creative project identifies and discusses the various issues that relate to the lack of connections between the school, the community, and the environment. From this analysis, three research questions evolved. To answer these questions, four case studies were reviewed and analyzed. The summary of these findings included the best features from each case study. These findings led to the formation of a model of design characteristics. The model was then applied to a site in central Indiana and led to the establishment of several design guidelines.These community-responsive guidelines are applicable to any site where connections between the school, community, and the environment are desired.