Wooten Elementary students moved into a brand new campus in North Austin in January.

What happened: On Jan. 16, Austin ISD officials celebrated the opening of a modernized building for the school alongside Wooten staff and students. The $40 million campus was funded by the district’s 2022 bond election.

What they're saying: “To be here today delivering the first modernized facility on the $2.4 billion dollar investment here at Wooten Elementary School, it's a big deal,” AISD Superintendent Matias Segura said at a press conference Jan. 16.

The impact: Wooten Elementary students and staff spent the last two school years in portables at Webb Middle School during the construction at the modernized facility. The school’s previous building, which was built in 1955, was outdated and provided a stagnant environment with rigid seating that was not supportive of all types of learners, Principal Nicholas Martinez told Community Impact.

The new Wooten campus features open learning spaces with flexible seating as well as outdoor classrooms and a garden area.

East Austin-based arts organization Almost Real Things, or ART, celebrated its 10th anniversary in January.

The big picture: The studio and gallery aims to help artists access community, elevate their work and contribute to Austin's culture, said Natalie Earhart, ART founder and editor-in-chief, in an email.

The backstory: The business began as a free, quarterly print magazine in 2016 and has since expanded to opening two art spaces, holding events, hosting tours through its ART bus and offering mentorships. Over the last decade, the organization has featured more than 3,000 creators across Austin, Earhart said.

• 2324 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin

St. Edward’s University and H-E-B have collaborated to create the first Tiny Forest in Austin and Central Texas to help improve canopy cover in communities throughout Austin.

How it works: On Jan. 17, H-E-B team members, community volunteers, university students, faculty and staff joined together to plant 54 square meters with 164 trees and shrubs.

The project uses the Miyawaki Method, an approach that enables trees to grow 10 times faster and seclude 10 times more carbon than traditional tree planting methods. Through this method, the trees planted at the event are expected to reach full maturity within the community’s lifetime, as stated in a news release.

Get involved: Community members can directly help the Tiny Forest project by participating in a fringe mantel planting in the fall or reaching out to [email protected] for information about how to plant a tiny forest in their community.

• St. Edward's University, 3001 S. Congress Ave., Austin