Engaging Your Community

During the pandemic, the Community Engagement Working Group, as part of the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, created a collection of resources and tools for community engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is meant to be used by school districts that want to shift from an indoor learning system to an outdoor learning system. The process of making this shift requires trust and investment from various community members.

These resources highlight how to facilitate community engagement throughout this process. The intention for this resource is to provide suggestions and frameworks that help districts co-create outdoor learning plans with all community members and stakeholders in mind. This resource is a general guide and may not include all relevant resources or tools for a respective school district.

Community Engagement Strategies

Community engagement is a crucial part of developing an outdoor learning plan. A successful community plan engages stakeholders early and often, building a comprehensive plan based on consensus and inclusion. The process of engagement should be seen as cyclical with concrete feedback loops built into each step of the process, from initiation of the outdoor learning plan to its implementation. This constant feedback from stakeholders allows for adjustment throughout the implementation process and community buy-in for outdoor learning efforts. An equity lens ensures an inclusive definition of the community and aims for broad understanding and support. This document outlines key groups that merit outreach for participation, as well as practical steps for successful collaboration.

© COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 46

Steps for Engaging Communities in Developing Outdoor Learning Strategies
This resource outlines a community engagement process for becoming an outdoor learning district.

Key Community Partners
Includes a list of key community stakeholders, objectives and strategies for reaching out to each partner, as well as sample elevator pitches and messaging.

District Pathway
Designed to help you to navigate the many resources of the National Outdoor Learning Library and find those most immediately helpful when launching a district-wide program.

Example Case Studies

These are just some examples of school districts and community organizations that made outdoor learning a reality on a broad scale by committing to community outreach and engagement. These are real-world success stories! See many more examples on our main case study page.

Community Consolidated School District 46
Grayslake, Illinois

Durham Public Schools
Durham, North Carolina

Friends of Oxon Run Park
Washington, DC

Portland Public Schools
Portland, Maine

Additional Resources and Further Reading

2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan
— City of Oakland, July 2020
See page 21 and pages 129–134.

Community Engagement Toolkit
— Futurewise, December 2014

Design as Democracy: Techniques for Collective Creativity
— Island Press, 2017
By David de la Pena (Editor), Diane Jones Allen (Editor), Randolph T. Hester Jr. (Editor), Jeffrey Hou.

Racial Equity Impact Assessment and Implementation Guide
— Environmental / Justice Solutions, with Oakland Climate Action Coalition, Blue Star Integrative Studio, Inc., and the City of Oakland, July 2020

Covid-19 Pandemic Response
— EmpowerEd, Washington, DC

© JONATHAN GRAFFIUS, Portland public schools

Coming soon:

DC petition and resolution.
Sample presentations and slide decks for sharing outdoor learning with your community
Sample elevator pitches for school board meetings, etc.

CREDITS

These resources were compiled and written in 2020 by volunteer members of the Community Engagement Working Group as part of the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative. We are grateful for their efforts and dedication to advocating for outdoor learning, both on a national level and in their own communities.

These pages were updated in late 2021 by Lauren McKenna, MLA, Green Schoolyards America.

National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative

The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative supports schools and districts around the country in their efforts to reopen safely and equitably using outdoor spaces as strategic, cost-effective solutions to increase physical distancing capacity onsite and provide access to abundant fresh air. The Initiative seeks to equitably improve learning, mental and physical health, and happiness for children and adults using an affordable, time-tested outdoor approach to keeping schools open during a pandemic.