Outdoor Learning is Thriving Across the Country!
PK-12 schools in every state are taking classes and programs outside!
Click on the map above and use the zoom feature to explore examples from the many PK-12 schools, school districts, and other educational institutions across the United States (and beyond!) that used fresh air outdoors to reduce virus transmission when they returned for in-person learning during the pandemic. When you select an individual marker on the map, it will show you the name of the educational institution and additional links to videos, photos, and articles about their outdoor activities.
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.
ADD YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT TO THE MAP
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. Please send any questions you have to support@greenschoolyards.org.
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.
