2020-2022 Program

The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative was founded in May 2020 to support schools and districts around the country in their efforts to reopen safely and equitably during the pandemic using outdoor spaces as strategic, cost-effective solutions to increase capacity and provide access to abundant fresh air. The Initiative aimed 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.

From June 2020 to May 2022, we convened an open and welcoming discussion forum for staff from schools, school districts, and county and state education departments from around the country so they could share information with one another as they moved forward with their outdoor learning plans. Our goal was to provide support and to build a collegial “community of practice” and national network to strengthen the field. Interested members of the public from around the world were also welcome to join our meetings.

Our conversations and presentations began with a tight focus on addressing the pandemic. Over the course of the 51 meetings we convened, the discussion shifted to emphasize the long-term value of outdoor learning and schoolyard greening. Presentations in the later part of this program explained how to establish programs and practices during the pandemic that would continue to enrich education and improve the well-being of children and the environment for years to come.

In our first year, the National Initiative’s Community of Practice was hosted by Sharon Danks from Green Schoolyards America, Andra Yeghoian from San Mateo County Office of Education, and Tamar Barlev from San Francisco Unified School District, with support from Lauren McKenna from Green Schoolyards America. In June 2021, the torch passed to Green Schoolyards America to host the meetings alone, and Danks and McKenna continued to lead these public forums until May 2022.

We invite you to explore the rich and valuable collection of recorded presentations from our 2020-2022 Community of Practice, below.

2022-2023 Program

In the 2022-2023 school year, Green Schoolyards America relaunched our live, online discussion forums for schools and districts, with a new focus. We are now meeting monthly for the Community of Practice for Schoolyard Forests! We hope you will join us.

The 2022-2023 Community of Practice is aligned with the National and California Schoolyard Forest Systems℠—new, large-scale initiatives to increase tree canopy on public school grounds to shade and protect PK-12 students from extreme heat and rising temperatures due to climate change.

The images above are from: El Cerrito, California (top); Washington, DC (middle); and Portland, Maine (bottom)

OUR JOURNEY OUTSIDE: EFFORTS TO SCALE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT, AND COMMUNITY

Guest Speaker
- Karen Cowe, CEO, Ten Strands

Webinar Timing
0:00     Welcome and speaker introduction by Sharon Danks,
Green Schoolyards America
3:00     Presentation by Karen Cowe, Ten Strands
26:20   Questions and discussion with Karen Cowe
37:28     Recap of NOLI work and thank you to our partners,
Sharon Danks

NAVAJO PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Farmington, New Mexico

Guest Speakers
- Denise Jensen, Advisor for Navajo Preparatory School’s
Naat’aanii Youth Council
- Students of Navajo Preparatory School

Webinar Timing
0:00     Welcome and speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna
1:06     Speaker introduction by Nancy Striniste
2:28     Presentation introduction by Denise Jensen, Navajo Prep
3:53     Presentation by Navajo Prep students
14:51     Questions and discussion with Denise Jensen and students

ADVOCATING FOR OUTDOOR LEARNING AS PARENTS AND GUARDIANS

Guest Speakers
- Joanna Snyder, parent advocate in Silver Spring, Maryland for
Montgomery County Public Schools
Curriculum Specialist, The Lawrence Hall of Science
- Aleigh Lewis, parent advocate in Los Angeles, California for
Los Angeles Unified School District
Founder, Angelenos for Green Schools

Resources
Check out these great resources–shared by Joanna Snyder from her local school district–to inspire and guide advocacy for outdoor learning in your own school district and community: Parent Guidance - Advocating for Outdoor Lunch as Plan A, Crowd-Sourced MCPS Outdoor Lunch Information, Outdoor Lunch Implementation FAQ, Outdoor Guidance for Principals. We also encourage checking out our District Pathway, which features examples of how others have advocated for outdoor learning and meals during the pandemic and beyond.

Webinar Timing
0:00 Welcome by Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards America
1:05 Presentation by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
31:27 Questions and discussion

PRESENTATION CELEBRATING
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL GROUNDS MONTH
AND LIVING SCHOOLYARDS MONTH

Guest Speaker
- Sharon Danks, CEO and Founder, Green Schoolyards America

Resources
May is the annual, global celebration of International School Grounds Month, coordinated by our colleagues at the International School Grounds Alliance. Thanks to the California State Legislature's Living Schoolyard Month Resolution (ACR-128), it is also Living Schoolyard Month in California! Celebrate your school grounds with the activities in our free, downloadable schoolyard activity guides!

OUT TEACH
Washington, DC

Guest Speakers
- Brandon Starling, Director of Education Partnerships, Out Teach
- Teena Hine, Director of Professional Learning, Out Teach

Webinar Timing
0:00     Welcome and speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna
2:48     Presentation by Brandon Starling and Teena Hine
23:20     Questions and discussion

Resources
Read this professional program highlight of Out Teach: “Out Teach: Early Science Experiences.” Out Teach also contributed to our school gardens resources; see Part 1—Getting Started and Part 2—Design and Teaching.

LINDEN WALDORF SCHOOL
Nashville, Tennessee

Guest Speakers
- Tricia Drake, Head of School
Linden Waldorf School
- Jared Bradley, AIA, NCARB
President, The Bradley Projects, Inc.
Linden Waldorff parent

Resources
Read our case study on Linden Waldorf and how they adapted to outdoor learning early in the pandemic by using outdoor pavilions designed and created by the whole school community.

Resources
-   San Mateo County Office of Education’s
Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Initiative

SAN MATEO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
EACH GREEN CORNER

Guest Speakers
- Andra Yeghoian, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability
Coordinator, San Mateo County Office of Education
- Naomi Stern, Green Facilities and Operations Analyst, San
Mateo County Office of Education
- Sandie Nierenberg, CEO, Each Green Corner

Webinar Timing
  0:00     Welcome and speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna
  4:06     Presentation by guest speaker Andra Yeghoian
10:13     Presentation by guest speaker Sandie Nierenberg
23:20     Presentation by Andra Yeghoian and Naomi Stern
29:58     Questions and discussion

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION, NEW YORK CITY

Guest Speaker
- Sarah Ward, Schoolyard and Community Habitats Program Manager,
National Wildlife Federation, NYC

Webinar Timing
0:00 Welcome by Nancy Striniste
0:59 Speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna
2:15 Presentation by guest speaker Sarah Ward
25:29 Questions and discussion

Resources
Check out their guide, ”Outdoor Learning NYC: A Toolkit for Schools," created in partnership GrowNYC and many others, to assist NYC area schools in expanding outdoor learning and outdoor classrooms as a response to the pandemic, and where those efforts will take them beyond. The “National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitats® Planning Guide” is another rich resource to help guide the creation of enriching schoolyards for people and wildlife alike.

BIG GREEN AND CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Guest Speakers
- Laura Thompson, Assistant Director of Strategic Alliances, Big Green
- Sam Koentopp, Assistant Director of Programs, Big Green
- Micheál Newman-Brooks, Program Manager of School Garden,
Chicago Public Schools

Webinar Timing
0:00    Welcome by Nancy Striniste, Green Schoolyards America
0:30    Speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards
America
4:21    Presentation by guest speakers Laura Thompson, Sam
Koentopp, and Micheál Newman-Brooks
27:21  Questions and discussion

IMPACTS OF COVID-19: A REPORT FROM THE LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE

Guest Speaker
- Craig Strang, Associate Director for Learning and Teaching,
The Lawrence Hall of Science

Webinar Timing
0:00    Welcome by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
1:42    Speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards
America
4:11    Presentation by guest speaker Craig Strang
24:32    Questions and discussion

Resources
Click here to read the report that is outlined in this presentation: Impacts from COVID-19- Resilient Outdoor Science Programs Need Support as Challenges Persist. The Lawrence Hall of Science is a co-founder of the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative and has contributed a rich array of resources that can be found in the Education Outdoors chapter of the National Outdoor Learning Library.

FIELD REPORT ON STATEWIDE OUTDOOR LEARNING EFFORTS IN MAINE

Guest Speakers
- Olivia Griset, Red Fong and Anna Sommo, Maine Environmental
Education Association
- Martin Mackey, Maine Department of Education

Webinar Timing
0:00    Welcome by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
1:23    Speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards
America
2:31    Presentation by guest speakers Olivia Griset, Red Fong, Anna
Sommo, and Martin Mackey
28:45  Questions and discussion

Resources
Click here to view the guest speakers’ presentation slide deck. In this presentation, colleagues from Maine shared how their mini grants program works to support outdoor learning, how the Teach ME Outside program facilitates outdoor learning experiences, and how this RREV state grant program is funding outdoor learning projects. Read about this work in action in our case study on Portland Public Schools in Portland, Maine, as well as case studies from Maine-based Nature Based Education Consortium.

WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

Guest Speaker
- Victoria Rydberg, Environmental Education and Service-learning
Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WDPI)

Webinar Timing
0:00   Welcome and speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna, Green
Schoolyards America
1:56  Presentation by Victoria Rydberg, WDPI
26:54 Questions and discussion

Resources
Click here to access Victoria Rydberg’s Community of Practice presentation slide deck. Explore WDPI’s Taking Education Outdoors: A Toolkit for Schools, a comprehensive toolkit for schools and district that includes tools, documents, stories, and videos. For more information, please see examples from around the state of Wisconsin in the National Outdoor Learning Library’s case study, as well as the “Wisconsin Schools in the News” page on WDPI’s website.

Additional Information
Liza Lowe is an affiliate faculty member at Antioch University, which offers a nature-based early childhood education certificate and a place-based education certificate. You can hear more from Liza on Antioch’s podcast, “The Seed Field – S2E1: To Reopen Schools, Teachers Took Their Students Outside. Should They Stay There?”

INSIDE-OUTSIDE NETWORK

Guest Speaker
- Liza Lowe, M.Ed., Director, Inside-Outside Network and Affiliate
Faculty, Antioch University New England

Webinar Timing
0:00    Welcome by Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards America
0:51    Guest speaker introduction by Nancy Striniste, Green
Schoolyards America
2:30    Presentation by Liza Lowe, Inside-Outside
18:55  Questions and discussion
23:53 Group discussion with meeting participants about outdoor
learning in winter weather

Resources
Visit the Inside-Outside Network’s website for more (primarily North Eastern United States-based) outdoor learning resources, including how to join or create a local chapter to support nature- and pace-based educators, partner with other organizations, and view their online resources, such as tips on educating outside in the winter and spring. 

DISTRICT PATHWAY
How to Bring Outdoor Learning to Your District

Guest Speaker
- Nancy Striniste, Director of East Coast Programs,
Green Schoolyards America

Webinar Timing 
0:00    Overview of the District Pathway, by Nancy Striniste
8:27    Questions and discussion

Resources
Click here to view the new District Pathway guide. The District Pathway is a step-by-step, annotated guide that is designed to help school district staff navigate the collection of 150+ tools and resources included in the National Outdoor Learning Library, and find the items that are most helpful to read first as they plan a district-wide outdoor learning program. This online guide was written with input from school district outdoor learning experts across the country.

Resources
Watch the presentation to learn how to use the outdoor learning menus created by The Lawrence Hall of Science, a founding partner of the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative. Access the resources:

• Why Districts Should be Planning and Implementing Outdoor Learning to Disrupt Inequities from the Pandemic

• The Lawrence Hall of Science Outdoor Learning Menus

• Outdoor Learning Menus: Practical and Imaginative Implementation

THE LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE
University of California, Berkeley

Guest Speakers
-  Vanessa Lujan, PhD, Deputy Director of the Learning and Teaching
Group, The Lawrence Hall of Science
-   Sarah Pedemonte, Science Learning Specialist, The Lawrence Hall of
Science

Webinar Timing
0:00    Introduction by Nancy Striniste, Director of East Coast
Programs, Green Schoolyards America
0:42    Guest speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna, Green
Schoolyards America
2:50 Presentation and Review of by resources by Vanessa Lujan,
PhD and Sarah Pedemonte, The Lawrence Hall of Science

PRESENTATION
Reflecting on Gratitude

Guest Speaker
-   Lauren McKenna, Program Manager, Green Schoolyards America

Webinar Timing
  0:11     Introduction to gratitude
0:51     Community
1:55    Nature
2:46   Joy
  5:27   Looking ahead
  6:02   For further reflection

This presentation is a guided reflection on the joy of working with children, the wonder of nature, and gratitude for this outdoor learning community.

ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Arlington, Virginia

Guest Speakers
-   David McBride, Principal of Kenmore Middle School at Arlington
Public Schools 
-   Eurith Bowen, Functional Life Skills Lead Teacher at Kenmore Middle
School
-   Dr. Michele Hubert, Special Education, Kenmore Middle School

Webinar Timing
    0:00   Introduction by Nancy Striniste, Green Schoolyards America
     7:20  Guest speaker introductions by Lauren McKenna, Green
Schoolyards America
   11:05   Presentation by David McBride
   18:57   Presentation by Eurith Bowen and Dr. Michele Hubert
  26:50   Questions and discussion

Resources
Learn about how Arlington Public Schools adopted outdoor meals at several schools in this great case study.

BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Boulder, Colorado

Guest Speaker
-   Ghita Carroll, PhD, Sustainability Coordinator,
Boulder Valley School District 

Webinar Timing
  0:27    Introduction by Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards America
2:50    Presentation by Ghita Carroll, Boulder Valley School District
20:40   Questions and discussion

Resources
Please see our case study about Boulder Valley School District, and this inspiring district-produced video, “BVSD Heros: Outdoor Learning,” to learn more about their outdoor learning planning. BVSD also has a guide dedicated to outdoor learning resources and tips. Learn more about their longer-term “GreenBVSD” sustainability plans here.

Resources
Please see the case study about Falmouth Public Schools for additional information, photos, and linked resources. Click here to view news coverage of their initial outdoor classroom set up.

FALMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Falmouth, Massachusetts

Guest Speakers
-   Amy Leonardi, Chair, Falmouth Outdoor Learning Project
Vice President, Falmouth Rotary Club
-   Dr. Sonia Tellier, Assistant Superintendent
and Director of Teaching and Learning, Falmouth Public Schools

Webinar Timing
    0:00   Introduction by Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards America
    2:57   Presentation by Amy Leonardi, Falmouth Outdoor Learning
Project and Dr. Sonia Tellier, Falmouth Public Schools 
28:40   Questions and discussion

Resources
Please see additional information about the school district’s “Seed to School” program, which “empowers children and their families through hands-on gardening, agriculture, food and nutrition education.” (Facebook page) See the Lake Fayetteville Study Center’s Instagram account for additional, inspiring outdoor education ideas. A case study about this school district’s work is coming soon!

FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Guest Speaker
-   Sim Barrow, Environmental Science Coordinator,
Fayetteville Public Schools

Webinar Timing
  0:00 Welcome and National Initiative overview by Sharon Danks,
Green Schoolyards America
  6:45 Overview of Big Green Jumpstart’s grant opportunity by Laura
Thompson
 13:00 Guest speaker introduction by Lauren McKenna, Green
Schoolyards America
 15:02 Presentation by Sim Barrow, Fayetteville Public Schools
39:18 Questions and discussion

BACK-TO-SCHOOL — OUTSIDE!
Using Outdoor Learning and Schoolyard Greening as Strategic Solutions During the Pandemic and Beyond

Guest Speaker
-   Sharon Danks, CEO and Founder, Green Schoolyards America
Coordinator and Co-Founder,
National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative

Webinar Timing
The recorded presentation that introduces this resource will be posted soon. Please see the link below to use this resource now.

Resources
Please see more information about Green Schoolyards America on this page, and an article summarizing the Power and Potential of Green Schoolyards. Sharon Danks is the author of Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation (New Village Press).

BRIYA PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
Washington, DC

Guest Speakers
-   Lena Johnson, Director of Early Childhood Education,
Briya Charter School
-   Lisa Luceno, Senior Director of Early Childhood, Briya Charter School

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
1:16 Guest speaker introductions by Nancy Striniste
6:22 Presentation by Lena Johnson and Lisa Lucena
23:23 Questions and discussion

Resources
During the presentation, the speakers mention a resource for Sensory Bin Materials, linked here. Please see the case study about Briya Public Charter School (coming soon!) for additional information, photos, and linked resources.

START-UP TOOLKIT
Where Do We Begin?
A Toolkit to Move Learning Outdoors

Guest Speaker
-   Lauren McKenna, Program Manager, Green Schoolyards America

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
0:48 Resource Spotlight by Lauren McKenna
18:05 Questions and discussion

Resources
Please visit our Start-up Toolkit page to begin your own work to bring learning outdoors at school.

Webinar Timing
 0:00    Introduction by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
  2:12   Presentation by Grace Manubay and Sam Ullery
14:55   Questions and discussion

OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION (OSSE)
Washington, DC

Guest Speakers
-  Grace Manubay, Environmental Literacy Coordinator, OSSE
- Sam Ullery, School Garden Specialist, DC School Gardens Program,
OSSE and Co-Founder, National School Gardens Support Network

Resources
Washington, DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education has a detailed web page focused on Outdoor Learning Resources. 

For additional information about advocating for equitable outdoor learning in Washington, DC during the pandemic, please see the presentation below given by Emily Gasoi (DC State Board of Education) and Brenda Richardson (Friends of Oxon Run Park), on January 19, 2021 — scroll to “Meeting #18 for more details.

LAKE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT and GET OUTDOORS LEADVILLE!
Leadville, Colorado

Guest Speakers
-  Becca Katz, Former Interim Director, Get Outdoors Leadville!
    Former Community Learning Director, Lake County School District
-   Mary Palumbo, Nature-based Learning Lead,
Lake County School District and Get Outdoors Leadville!

Webinar Timing
 0:00    Introduction by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
  0:12    Guest speaker introductions by Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards America
  2:47   Presentation by Becca Katz
14:03   Presentation by Mary Palumbo
22:32   Questions and discussion

Resources
Please see our case study about Lake County School District and Get Outdoors Leadville!, which includes more information, photos, and linked resources.

GOLESTAN EDUCATION
El Cerrito, California

Guest Speaker
-   Yalda Modabber, Executive Director at Golestan Education

Webinar Timing
 0:00    Introduction by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
2:37    Presentation by Yalda Modabber, Golestan Education
17:57   Questions and discussion

Resources
Please see our case study about outdoor learning at Golestan Education, which includes more information, photos, and linked resources.

OAK PARK UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Oak Park, California

Guest Speaker
-   Dr. Tony Knight, Ed.D., Superintendent
Oak Park Unified School District

Webinar Timing
 0:00    Introduction by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
1:08    Presentation by Dr. Tony Knight, Oak Park USD
18:47   Questions and discussion
23:08 Retirement tribute to Dr. Knight given by Dr. Tim Baird, Ed.D.,
Superintendent (retired), Encinitas Union School District

Resources
For more information about Oak Park Unified School District’s award-winning work to green their buildings and grounds, teach environmental literacy, and move learning outside, please see: OPUSD’s webpage about their green schools program, and Dr. Knight’s article, “Beyond Walls and Fences” in Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly’s, April 2021 Issue.

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Los Angeles, California

Guest Speaker
-   Gerardo Salazar, Administrator, LAUSD Office of Outdoor and
Environmental Education at Los Angeles Unified School District

Webinar Timing
 0:00    Introduction by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
1:32    Presentation by Gerardo Salazar, LAUSD, sharing information
about the district’s outdoor and environmental education
programs and the LAUSD-Skyhook Eco-Van Program
developed this year in response to the pandemic
27:40   Questions and discussion

Resources
Please click here to watch the full length video referenced in the presentation. It is entitled: Outdoor LA: E2 - Camp Skyhook Eco-Van Program.

PARK DAY SCHOOL
Oakland, California

Guest Speaker
-   Jennifer Cooper, Facilities Manager, Green School Coordinator, 
and former Learning Garden Teacher at Park Day School

Webinar Timing
 0:00    Introduction by Karen Cowe, Ten Strands
2:20    Presentation by Jennifer Cooper, Park Day School
20:00   Questions and discussion

Resources
Please see our case study about outdoor learning at Park Day School, which includes more information, photos, and linked resources.

Resources
For more information, please see the webpage for Berkeley Unified School District’s Outdoor Learning Environments Working Group.

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Berkeley, California

Guest Speakers
Berkeley Unified School District staff members:
-  Steve Collins, Facilities Maintenance Manager, BUSD
-  Sofia Peltz, Sustainability Coordinator, BUSD
-  Jezra Thompson, Supervisor,
Districtwide Gardening and Cooking Program, BUSD

Webinar Timing
 0:00    Introduction by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
0:57    Speaker: Jezra Thompson, BUSD
 8:42    Speaker: Sofia Peltz, BUSD
10:30    Speaker: Steve Collins, BUSD
13:02    Speaker: Sofia Peltz, BUSD
14:30    Speaker: Steve Collins, BUSD
18:47    Speaker: Jezra Thompson, BUSD
23:12    Questions and discussion with the team above plus
Lauren McKenna, Green Schoolyards America, and
Andra Yeghoian, San Mateo County Office of Education

DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Durham, North Carolina

Guest Speaker
-   Dan Schnitzer, Project Manager
    Sustainability and Capital Improvements
    Durham Public Schools

Webinar Timing
  0:00    Introduction by Sharon Danks
  1:28    Presentation by Dan Schnitzer, Durham Public Schools
24:48   Questions and discussion

Resources
Please see the outdoor learning guidance document published by Durham Public Schools in March 2021, entitled, Learning Outdoors: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Outside in Durham Public Schools. See also our case study on DPS’s outdoor classroom efforts.

UNDERSTANDING FEDERAL FUNDS FOR COVID RELIEF: OPPORTUNITIES TO INVEST IN OUTDOOR LEARNING AND SCHOOL FACILITIES
Washington, DC

Guest Speaker
- Mary Filardo, Executive Director, 21st Century School Fund
and Founder and Chairperson, BASIC Coalition

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Sharon Danks
3:07 Presentation by Mary Filardo, 21st Century School Fund
20:52 Questions and discussion, with Andra Yeghoian

Resources
Our guest speaker generously shared her presentation slides to provide more information. Click here to view the slides.

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Andra Yeghoian
1:59 Presentation by Sharon Danks about the National COVID-19
Outdoor Learning Initiative
9:02 Presentation by Sharon Danks about Green Schoolyards
America and a long-term vision for living schoolyards
37:20 Questions and discussion

CONNECTING COVID-RELATED OUTDOOR LEARNING WITH LONG-TERM SCHOOL GROUND GREENING GOALS
Berkeley, California

Guest Speaker
- Sharon Danks, CEO and Founder, Green Schoolyards America
Coordinator and Co-Founder,
National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative

Resources
Please see more information about Green Schoolyards America on this page, and an article summarizing the Power and Potential of Green Schoolyards. Sharon Danks is the author of Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation (New Village Press).

PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Portland, Maine

Guest Speaker
- Brooke Teller, STEM and Outdoor Learning Coordinator
Portland Public Schools

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Andra Yeghoian
1:19 Presentation by Brooke Teller, Portland Public Schools
14:14 Questions and discussion

Resources
Please see our case study of the outdoor learning efforts at Portland Public Schools, which includes many linked resources.

AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Austin, Texas

Guest Speaker
- Anne Muller, Outdoor Learning Specialist, STEM Department
Austin Independent School District

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Andra Yeghoian
0:59 Presentation by Anne Muller, Austin Independent School District
15:30 Questions and discussion

Resources
Please see our case study of the outdoor learning efforts at Austin Independent School District, which includes many linked resources. Austin ISD’s map tool, designed to help schools find off-campus green spaces for outdoor learning, is available at this link. Our guest speaker also generously shared her presentation slides to provide more information and links to resources she described.

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Andra Yeghoian
1:33 Presentation by Emily Gasoi, DC State Board of Education
15:16 Presentation by Brenda Richardson, Friends of Oxon Run Park
20:00 Questions and discussion

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COALITION
FOR EQUITABLE OUTDOOR EDUCATION
Washington, DC

Guest Speakers
- Emily Gasoi, Vice President and Ward 1 Representative
DC State Board of Education
- Brenda Richardson, Community Advocate and Vice Chair of Friends of Oxon Run Park

Resources
Please see our case study of the outdoor learning programming at Oxon Run Park in Washington, DC. The case study features a moving interview with Brenda Richardson about how she, the Friends of Oxon Run Park, and other partners activated the park, bringing joy and solace to the community during the pandemic.

Webinar Timing
0:00 Presentation by Laura Newman, Learning by Nature for ME
6:40 Presentation by Lily Chaleff, Cultivating Community
13:00 Presentation by Brooke Teller, Portland Public Schools
23:47 Questions and discussion

PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Portland, Maine

Guest Speakers
- Lily Chaleff, Schools and Youth Program Coordinator
Cultivating Community
- Laura Newman, Consultant, Learning by Nature for ME
and School Ground Greening Coalition
- Brooke Teller, STEM and Outdoor Learning Coordinator
Portland Public Schools

Resources
Please see our case study of the outdoor learning efforts at Portland Public Schools, which includes many linked resources.

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Andra Yeghoian
1:00 Presentation by Claire Latané, Cal Poly Pomona
25:45 Questions and discussion

SCHOOLS THAT HEAL —
DESIGN WITH MENTAL HEALTH IN MIND
Los Angeles, California

Guest Speaker
- Claire Latané, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture
Cal Poly Pomona and founder of our National Initiative’s
Emergency Schoolyard Design Volunteers program

Resources
Please see more information about this presentation on this page, and additional information and research citations about the benefits of nature for health on our Health Guidance page. Claire Latané is the author of Schools that Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind (Island Press).

SAN MATEO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
Redwood City, California

Guest Speaker
- Andra Yeghoian, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability
Coordinator, San Mateo County Office of Education

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction by Sharon Danks
0:09 Presentation by Andra Yeghoian
8:00 Questions and discussion

Webinar Timing
0:00 Introduction about the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning
Initiative by Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
9:31 Presentation by Dr. Nooshin Razani, UCSF
28:28 Presentation by Dr. Caesar Djavaherian, Carbon Health
44:20 Questions and discussion

HOW TO USE OUTDOOR LEARNING SPACES
TO HELP CONTROL COVID-19 TRANSMISSION
AS SCHOOLS REOPEN
Demythologizing COVID-19

Guest Speakers
- Dr. Caesar Djavaherian, MD, Co-founder and Medical Director
Carbon Health
- Dr. Nooshin Razani, MD, MPH, Founder and Director
Center for Nature and Health and Associate Adjunct Professor of
Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Pediatrics, UC San Francisco

Resources
For more information about this presentation, please visit this page about the webinar. For additional information about COVID-19 health guidance for schools, research citations, and the health benefits of being outdoors, please visit our Health Guidance page.