Outdoor Learning
Outdoor School: Why Now?
Research shows time in nature is beneficial for students
Shelley Barker
Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, Outdoor Schools Washington
Evaluation Criteria: Improving Instruction
I keep up with my former colleagues, who are in the thick of teaching during this third school year of the pandemic. The return to school last spring and the start of school this fall brought to light some interesting observations on their part.
“It’s like kids have forgotten how to BE together,” said one friend, “like being in school, in a classroom with other kids, is unknown territory.” Another friend worried that her students seemed to have lost their rudimentary problem-solving skills.
Yet another told a story of a boy who wept, “…a ‘washing-away-cars’ flood of tears” when asked to complete a task that she believed to be within a new 6th grader’s wheelhouse. Has there ever been a time when we’ve been more aware of the enormous impact schools have on our students’ lives? That said, school personnel are left to struggle with what to do to meet the needs of students. What, exactly, can we do to help kids get a restart, to set them on the path to healing and a future of positive, successful learning?
I encourage you to look to nature and the benefits humans experience from time spent outdoors. According to the article, “Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health” (Jim Robins, Yale Environment 360, Yale School of the Environment, Jan. 9, 2020), time spent in nature lowers blood pressure, improves immune system function, and helps speed up the rate of healing. Physical improvements are not the only benefits to being outside. The article goes on to explain how, by spending time in nature, anxiety is reduced, self-esteem is boosted, and the effects of ADD are diminished. Time outdoors also lessens feelings of isolation, lifts moods, promotes calm, and decreases aggressive behavior.
Henry David Thoreau said, “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Outdoor Schools Washington is here to help you get your fifth- or sixth-grade students to outdoor school so they can benefit from what nature has to offer.
Outdoor school is a perfect opportunity for students to gain from these benefits while increasing science knowledge and growing an appreciation for the natural world.
You’re probably thinking: “Outdoor school sounds great, but what about COVID? What about my district’s travel restrictions?” Think about this: Time spent at outdoor school can be just as safe, if not safer, than time spent on your campus. Take the following into consideration:
It is also worth mentioning that many outdoor school sites function as camps during the summer months. The CDC, the Governor’s Office, and local health departments mandated health and safety practices for youth overnight recreation programs. Many camps in Washington operated last summer and no major outbreaks of COVID were reported. Camps opened at reduced capacity, kept kids in cohorts, continued masking, and followed dining and sleeping modifications to keep campers safe. It wasn’t easy, but it worked. With outdoor school sites continuing to follow these protocols, outdoor schools are set up to be as successful as summer camps were last summer.
Henry David Thoreau said, “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Outdoor Schools Washington is here to help you get your fifth- or sixth-grade students to outdoor school so they can benefit from what nature has to offer. We have funds available for programming costs ($75 per day, per student) and transportation ($50 per student). All we ask is that you:
- Choose an outdoor school that suits your needs.
- Make a funding reservation on our website (www.outdoorschoolswa.org).
- Go and experience outdoor school with your students.
- Upon your return, fill out paperwork to be reimbursed. Your district will be promptly reimbursed at the rates above. It is that simple, no strings attached.
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Association of Washington School Principals
Washington Principal | Volume 2– 2021-22