UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Students at Martin Luther King School in Utica will get creative this fall in a large green space set aside for students and the community alike to enjoy.

The plan is to create green infrastructure, sustainable gardens, and and beds for each classroom to grow their own gardens.

"Our main focus is to use it for the joy of making this look like a suburbanite type of area within a city," said principal Mark DeSalvo.

The goal is not only to beautify the community, but also to give students hands-on science lessons.

The design for the outdoor space is still in its concept and planning stages.

"I wanted to create that 'wow' factor," said DeSalvo. "This shouldn't be looked at as a typical city school where you see a fence around the building and it says stay out."

MLK students were involved in the conception process.

Third and Fourth graders drew pictures of what they would like to see in their schoolyard.

So far, the school has only raised $1,500 of what is expected to be a $35,000 project, but administrators hope to begin on the first phase in the fall of 2012.