Chapter 9
Outdoor Learning is Thriving Across the Country!
This section of the National Outdoor Learning Library celebrates and documents the wonderful work of schools, school districts, and other PK-12 educational institutions around the country that have been using outdoor spaces to reduce virus transmission during the pandemic and provide nurturing, healthy environments for students, teachers, and staff. As the map below illustrates, there are schools in every state across the United States that have been taking their classes, programs, and/or meals outdoors in response to COVID-19. What’s even more exciting is that many of them found the experience so valuable they plan to continue using the outdoors as part of their permanent educational program in the years to come.
The examples below share a wide range of creative solutions developed by schools, school districts, county offices of education, and state education departments across the country, for PK-12 students of all ages. Each educational institution adapted their strategy and approach to their own local context, climate, setting (urban, suburban, or rural), and campus size. Their work to move learning outdoors for part (or all) of the day helped many schools stay open for in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year, prior to the widespread availability of vaccines. In the 2021-22 school year, using outdoor spaces has added an additional layer of protection for their school communities—beyond the health protocols they already had in place—and has enabled many schools to stay open despite the Delta variant.
Where is This Happening?
PK-12 schools in every state are taking classes and programs outside!
The map above shows the location of the many PK-12 schools, school districts, and other educational institutions across the United States that used fresh air outdoors to reduce virus transmission when they returned for in-person learning during the pandemic. Click here for an interactive version of the map with more information about each marked location.
GREEN MARKERS on the map show the locations of the schools, districts, county offices of education, and state departments of education that the National Outdoor Learning Initiative collaborated with to document their outdoor learning experiences in written articles and/or recorded presentations. These materials are included on the pages linked below. Additional copies of the presentations given by PK-12 administrators are also available on our website’s Community of Practice page and our related YouTube playlist.
YELLOW MARKERS on the map above show the locations of other outdoor learning examples that were documented by the news media or appear on the schools’, districts’, or partners’ websites and social media pages. Links to those references can be accessed via the interactive version of the map above. We have also gathered many of these news videos in our “Outdoor Learning in the News” YouTube playlist.
What Does Outdoor Learning Look Like?
Explore the Detailed Case Studies in the sections below to see place-based solutions for all ages and climates around the country
Would you like your local school and school district to try moving classes and programs outdoors? Great! There’s no need to “reinvent the wheel.” We encourage you to explore the rich collection of case studies below, filled with detailed information and inspiring photographs that show successful outdoor learning programs in action. The case studies in this section are divided by their level of scale (state, county, school district, and school). Each of the pages below includes detailed examples from across the United States. Each case study is also shown above with a green marker on the map. We will post additional examples from educational institutions around the country as they are available. Please check back often for updates.
© WHATCOM COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
State and County
Case Studies
The state and county departments of education profiled here provide leadership, guidance, and support for outdoor learning.
© FALMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
School District
Case Studies
The school districts included here illustrate how outdoor learning programs can be scaled to provide equitable access for many students.
© TRICIA DRAKE
PK-12 School
Case Studies
The schools profiled in this section are pioneers whose work inspires and leads the way on outdoor learning.
How Can You Get Involved?
join our community of practice — and put your school on the map!
© Golestan Education
Community of Practice for Schools and Districts Moving Learning Outside
From June 2020 to May 2022, we held 51 sessions of our online discussion forum for education leaders who gathered to share information, expand their network, and learn from colleagues. Click here to view the recorded presentations from around the country. In November 2022, we relaunched this program as the Community of Practice for Schoolyard Forests. We hope you’ll join us!
Source: Google’s My Maps
Did we miss your local school or district on the map above? We’d love to include you!
Please tell us more about your work to take learning outside during the pandemic by completing this short questionnaire and attaching a link to a related webpage, video, or news coverage about the project.
Visit Our YouTube Playlists to See Outdoor Classes and Programs in Action!
The playlists on our YouTube channel include:
— National Outdoor Learning Initiative Playlist,
recordings we created or were featured in
— Community of Practice Playlist, recordings
of presentations by schools and districts
— Outdoor Learning in the News, news reports
National Outdoor Learning Library
The National Outdoor Learning Library is an expansive set of resources for schools and districts created by the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, which was founded in 2020 by Green Schoolyards America, The Lawrence Hall of Science, San Mateo County Office of Education, and Ten Strands. With the help of current partners, Green Schoolyards America is continuing to expand the library’s collection to support equitable access to outdoor learning and living schoolyards beyond the pandemic.
