Council of Outdoor Learning
​OUTDOOR LEARNING SYMPOSIUM

2021 Outdoor Learning Symposium - Virtual
Date: Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Join us for exciting sessions on how to create outdoor learning spaces, overcome obstacles to teaching outside, and engage students in culturally-relevant, real-world investigations.

Register today!

EEA operates very leanly and efficiently (part-time executive director, no office, active Board and volunteers) so the organization needs income from events such as this to pay for  services and programs provided to educators and EE providers. However, our members are EEA's highest priority. In light of the hardships that many Georgians continue to face due to the covid pandemic,  EEA members are invited to pay whatever they can to register for the Outdoor Learning Symposium. Options range from $0-$25.  Just email [email protected] to request a code for free registration.

Please login to confirm you are a member before registering.   
Not an EEA member yet? No worries! You can "choose your own dues",  join today,  and then immediately take advantage of any registration option below. 

If able to contribute more than $25, please consider paying it forward by making a donation to EEA’s general or scholarship fund

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SYMPOSIUM:

• Senator Sheikh Rahman, Chair of the Georgia Senate Study Committee on Outdoor Learning, will deliver the keynote address at noon. Hear about his bipartisan committee's plan to prioritize outdoor learning for every Georgia child. 
  

• Learn about the latest research on outdoor learning outcomes including improved physical and mental health, reduced risk of spreading COVID, deeper understanding of core ideas, academic gains, better self-management, increased engagement, and greater self-efficacy and belief in the ability to make a difference in the world. 
• Watch live-streamed tours of Georgia schoolyards and students in action, to inspire and elevate your outdoor learning game. Or propose a session to showcase your own outdoor learning spaces and activities! See the button below.​
• Tuesday, November 2 was selected for the Symposium because it is an election day. Since Georgia schools often serve as polling locations, many school districts cancel classes and focus on professional learning for teachers. This provides an opportunity for teachers to attend without having to pay for substitutes  and allows many non-formal educators to participate because there are no field trips in districts that have canceled classes. We hope you will join us!

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Sponsorships:  Interested in sponsoring the Outdoor Learning Symposium? We would appreciate partners to help keep costs low for participants. Your investment at any level would be appreciated. Click below to learn more. 

SPONSOR this event

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NOTE:   OLS SESSION LINKS HAVE BEEN EMAILED TO REGISTRANTS

Outdoor Learning Symposium Schedule-at-a-Glance

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OLS Full Program with Session Descriptions

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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.

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OLS ARCHIVES FROM PREVIOUS SYMPOSIA
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Thank you for joining us for the 2020 Outdoor Learning Symposium!

Last year, EEA's Council of Outdoor Learning (CoOL) hosted a virtual ​Outdoor Learning Symposium with the theme, “Outdoor Classrooms: The Natural Solution for the Pandemic and Beyond” to support  educators during this unprecedented school year with new tools and strategies that you can use with both your remote and in-person K-12 students​. Each session will have an individual link to an online platform such as Zoom, Teams, or Google Meets.  

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Members' Price:  $0 - $25
​​This year, we are asking our members to pay whatever they can. Options range from $0-$25.  (And if you would like to contribute more than $25, consider making a donation to EEA’s general or scholarship funds). 
Not an EEA member yet? No worries! You can "choose your own dues" (as low as FREE), join today,  and then immediately take advantage of free registration below.

Non-Members' Price: $55
includes $25  Symposium registration + $30 membership
The cost of Symposium registration and a one-year EEA membership is covered for new users. In light of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, EEA has a limited-time offer of full membership for FREE. Simply click the link above and enter eeacovid19 in the discount box for FREE membership, or choose to pay an amount as low as $3 per month. You will immediately be eligible to register for the Symposium at the member rate of $0 - $25

2020 Pre-recorded Sessions

Session 1	Why and How to Support Outdoor Learning at Schools During COVID-19
Presenter	​Jaime Zaplatosch & Monica Lopez Magee, Children & Nature Network
Grades	K - 12
Description	Your organization knows how to support student learning outdoors, but how can you and your staff stay relevant and active during COVID-19 restrictions? This session will support your work teaching on or near school grounds, helping teachers as they make this transition, and advocating for this triage response to become the norm, post-pandemic.

Session 2	Trashercise: Your Neighborhood as a Classroom
Presenter	​Stacy Smith, Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful
Grades	3 - 8
Description	​Broaden your students' understanding of the outdoors by taking them into the community! Nature can seem distant from our everyday lives, comprised of faraway forests and species that sound like fiction. Cleaning up litter in your neighborhood or schoolyard gets students out into the environment with a purpose, helping them see the direct impact of their actions on the ecosystems around them. This session will cover the basics of a safe litter cleanup activity and share ideas for related lessons.

Session 3	The Gopher Tortoise Project: Adopt a Burrow
Presenter	​Katie Fasnacht & Susan Collins, Kennesaw State Experiential Teacher Project, KSU
Grades	K - 7
Description	This project's goal is to promote science education and bring awareness to the threatened status of Georgia’s state reptile, the gopher tortoise, and what we can do to protect them. Our team has created resources that teachers can use in engaging and relevant classroom activities. One example is our Adopt-a-Burrow program. When teachers "adopt" a burrow for $25, all funds go to The Nature Conservancy to help conservation efforts. Teachers will receive an adoption certificate, gopher tortoise poster, 30 copies of our activity book, one copy of At Home with the Gopher Tortoise by Madeline Dunphy, and access to our photos and videos of the burrows.

Session 4	Fear-free Flora and Fauna
Presenter	Kathy Church, GA DNR, Smithgall Woods Regional Education Center
Grades	K - 12; Administrators
Description	​Does the idea of teaching outdoors make you a little wary? Worried about what you may encounter when taking students on an environmental adventure? Join Kathy Church of the GA Department of Natural Resources to learn what to enjoy and what to avoid when exploring nature's wonders.

Session 5	​Science and Math Lessons for Outside​
Presenter	Stephanie Hodges, Portal Elementary
Grades	K - 5
Description	​In this session, you'll learn how a "Pollinator Paradise" was created at Portal Elementary with funds from the GA DNR Conservation Teacher of the Year grant. Stephanie will also share ideas for teaching science and math standards outside.

2020 Live Symposium Agenda
​Keynote

9 - 9:30 a.m.

Keynote Address:  Evonne ​Blythers Lapsey

The keynote address will be given by Evonne Blythers Lapsey, director of Georgia Coast EcoTours. Evonne is also a board member of Georgia Audubon; service unit director, leader, and lifetime member of the Girl Scouts; a former park ranger/ naturalist at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve; former senior coordinator of environmental education for the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance; and former hikes/outings chair at Keeping It Wild.

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2020 Concurrent Sessions

9:35 - 10:05 a.m.	Wonders of Wastewater ​	Your Ecological Address: Bring literacy, art, poetry and science to your classroom with the Georgia River of Words Program
Presenter(s)	Lori Forrester & Will England, Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority	Monica Kilpatrick & Jackie Encinas, GA Environmental Protection Division, GA Project WET
Grades	K - 5	K - 12
Description	​Learn about a new adaptive lesson, Marvelous Microbes, which ties good bacteria (microorganisms) into the wastewater process. Adapted from the Project WET macroinvertebrate activity Macro Mayhem, students learn about rotifers, water bears, stalked cilates (and more) and their role in the wastewater process. This outdoor active lesson is supported by a Nearpod lesson. For the younger group, the book, "Toilet- How it Works," explains the wastewater process. The 3 P's - pee, poop and (toilet) paper, are the only things that should go down the toilet. The value of knowing the role of good bacteria in wastewater process, having a basic understanding of the wastewater process, and proper care of the wastewater system (what not to flush) creates a more informed citizen base for our communities. ​ ​	Note: Please register in advance for this session. River of Words (ROW) is a free, K-12 international environmental art and poetry contest that encourages students to learn their “place in space;” hone their observation skills; and express what they’ve learned about native flora, fauna and waterbodies. Coordinated in GA by EPD’s Project WET in partnership with GA Center for the Book, hundreds of GA students have been recognized for their art and poetry since the program began. ROW is a great way to foster collaboration ​among science, language arts, social studies, and art teachers while fulfilling several GA Standards of Excellence. This session will include activities to help students understand the definition of a watershed; tips and tricks to inspire them to express what they’ve learned through art and poetry; and contest rules and guidelines. We'll also discuss using the outdoors as the backdrop for learning with either virtual or in-person classrooms and educational standards that correlate to ROW activities. Participants will receive a free teacher’s packet with a guide, bookmarks, poster, and the 2020 Georgia ROW winner’s art & poetry journal.

10:10 - 10:40 a.m.	Go Outside: Expectations with Out Teach ​	​Public Lands as Teaching Spaces: Models for Teen Programs and Educator Training
Presenter(s)	Katrina Reed & Jarri Goodman, Out Teach ​	Kelsey McNicholas & a panel of partners, Georgia Mountains Children's Forest Network
Grades	K - 5; Administrators	9 - 12; Administrators
Description	​Out Teach is a national teacher-development nonprofit working to equip teachers with the power of experiential learning outdoors to unlock student performance. To help teachers provide effective instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, Out Teach demonstrates how to create standards-aligned lessons across content areas in elementary grades to support active, hands-on learning using any outdoor environment. ​	Georgia Mountains Children’s Forest Network presents as models, two highly successful outdoor learning programs: one for teens and one for educators. The Forest for Every Classroom program equips educators with place-based service learning tools to teach curricular content in outdoor environments. A natural extension of this program, NextGen Forest Ambassadors, equips teens as leaders in their communities and active stewards of public lands. Through partnerships, mentorships, placed-based service learning, and peer collaboration, both programs have proven extremely successful and highly transferable to a range of contexts.

10:45 - 11:15 a.m.	Batty About Bats ​	Re-imagining Science Outdoors to Reduce Virus Risks and Engage Learners
Presenter(s)	​Vicki Beckham Smith, A-Z Animals	​Karan Wood & Korri Ellis, EEA
Grade	K - 5	K - 12; Administrators
Description	In this session, you'll learn bat facts and activities to be able to take your students outdoors to learn more about bats, their habitats, and their feeding strategies. ​	In this session, you'll learn about: Planning and Creating Healthy Outdoor Learning Spaces on Campus Increasing Teacher Capacity, Comfort-Level, and Classroom Management Outdoors Finding and Adapting Resources for Teaching Science Outdoors Connecting Outdoor Learning to Virtual Labs, Simulations, and Interactives

11:20 a.m. - 11:50 p.m.	​Get Ag-cited About Ag in the Classroom	​Monarch Citizen Science for All Ages
Presenter	Lauren Goble, Georgia Farm Bureau	Mary Beth Cary, Monarchs Across Georgia
Grade	K - 5	K - 12
Description	​Did you know that most students are 3-4 generations removed from agriculture? It’s extremely important that students are not only exposed to agriculture, but also actively take part in agriculture education. Lauren will share quality resources/websites, engaging ag-tivities, and exciting ideas that can be used in the classroom or virtually. By the end of this session, you’ll be ag-cited to incorporate agriculture in your lessons!	​Students love to be "real life" scientists and share data that will be used by real scientists! Learn how to tag monarch butterflies with Monarch Watch and how to test monarch butterflies for the OE parasite. ​ ​ ​

12:00 - 12:30 p.m.	It’s Elementary, Beginning the Outdoor Learning Wildlife Habitat	​iNaturalist Projects – A Modern Way to Connect Students to Nature
Presenter	Jerry Hightower & Penny Hightower, National Park Service	Shaundon Moore, Cobb County Water System, Watershed Stewardship Program
Grade	K - 8; Administrators	3 - 12; Administrators
Description	Join nationally recognized naturalist and environmental educator, Jerry Hightower, for a fun, informative, and exciting session that will help schools create, improve, and use Campus Wildlife Sanctuary Outdoor STEM Learning Areas. A campus wildlife sanctuary is a “magic garden” that nurtures discovery, learning, and stewardship. These gardens require little money, but produce big harvests of interdisciplinary curriculum enhancement. This session will offer sound advice on introducing the basic elements of an outdoor learning area on your campus to excite learners in all subject areas. Participants will benefit from Jerry’s 50 years of working with schools on outdoor learning.	​"Nature is everywhere – we just need to learn to see it," a phrase popularized by the environmental writer Emma Marris, has a lot of truth to it. Whether we are in a bustling city, or a quiet countryside, there’s a plethora of neat and interesting biological phenomenon to observe. For both students and teachers, however, there can be many barriers to fully engaging with the nature around us (especially in urban areas). Sometimes it’s a lack of knowledge, other times it’s a lack of motivation or interest. In this session, you'll learn how to use the iNaturalist mobile app to overcome these barriers and facilitate meaningful and relevant environmental experiences for your students in any location, whether outside, in a city, and even inside their own homes. ​

Outdoor Learning Symposium Resources

OLS 2019 Photos

Want to re-visit a fantastic session from a recent Outdoor Learning Symposium? Visit our Symposium Resources page for session information and handouts from past events. For proceedings and materials prior to 2019, members can access resources through the Member Portal. 

About the Council of Outdoor Learning

The Council of Outdoor Learning (CoOL) is an EEA initiative focusing on the design, development, use, and sustainability of outdoor learning environments on school campuses. CoOL provides resources for those who want to create outdoor classrooms or learning stations, hosts an annual symposium to share resources and strategies for teaching outdoors, and curates a collection of outdoor learning activities that are integrated with state standards.

Learn About CoOL