CoOL Schoolyards - Overview

Congrats to Dr. George Washington Carver Elementary in Bryan County School District!
Overall Points Winner for 2024-25 Pilot Program

Sign Up for Fall 2026

CoOL Schoolyards  

CoOL Schoolyards is a tiered recognition program that awards points to schools for their efforts to engage students in outdoor learning; connects non-formal ee providers with schools; and provides a resource bank of projects for engaging students in high-quality outdoor learning experiences.  Schools can  earn credit for taking students outside to learn or connect with nature, improving the schoolyard, planting trees, or solving environmental problems -  and then watch the Leaderboard to see their points (and recognition level) soar.

​Non-profits and public agencies can propose free or discounted educational offerings that demonstrate best practices in outdoor learning, including activities, field trips, and environmental stewardship projects. Accepted programs will be assigned points for school recognition levels. 

How It Works

Registered schools will select points-bearing projects and lessons to do outdoors. Nature centers and environmental education providers may offer free or discounted projects, field trips, activities, and presentations that bear points.  Schools can create their own projects, as well. 

​Sign up to begin earning points for your classes or your school. We'll keep you updated on Challenges and share information about opportunities to earn points. 
​​

REGISTER HERE

Schools earn points by completing outdoor learning challenges that connect children to nature, or that engage kids in investigating phenomena, solving environmental problems, or contributing to sustainability. This can include activities you might already be doing!

Community based organizations and public agencies can offer challenges (such as tree planting) or programs (such as field trips, presentations, schoolyard investigations, or community science projects) that schools do to earn points. Many challenges are aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence. Schools may also propose their own activities and earn points!

PROPOSE ​CHALLENGES

Earning points is simple. Schools take photos while doing outdoor learning challenges and then submit them using the online Points Reporting Form. We'll review the submissions and award points. All participating schools will earn recognition and prizes during the beta testing phase (2025 and 2026).

REPORT POINTS WITH PHOTOS

​Compete against your own record to improve the frequency, quality, or impact of outdoor learning activities. Or compete against other schools in your area to earn the most points. The Leaderboard displays the points earned by all participating schools.

CHECK OUT THE LEADERBOARD (Coming fall 2026)

Learn More . . . 
​

Featured CoOL Schoolyard Projects

​Report CoOL Schoolyard Points

Go to Teaching with Trees

Go to GA Schoolyard Forest Network

---

Partners

The ​Council of Outdoor Learning (CoOL) is an EEA initiative that focuses on the design, development, use, sustainability, and longevity of outdoor learning environments at schools, nature centers, and elsewhere; and promotes research-informed practices for effective student and environmental outcomes. CoOL provides a Toolkit for creating outdoor learning spaces, hosts an annual Outdoor Learning Symposium to share resources and strategies for teaching outdoors, curates a collection of outdoor learning activities that are integrated with state standards, supports OL providers, and offers customized professional development workshops and webinars for teachers and non-formal educators.

---