EEA INITIATIVES
Outdoor  Learning  Collaboratory

Outdoor Learning Collaboratory

Share your expertise and ideas on best practices in outdoor learning at an interactive webinar, in-person workshop, or  survey. We want to hear about your experience:

• Engaging students in nature
• Designing and installing amenities and improvements to create schoolyard learning spaces
• Teaching with culturally-competent instructional strategies
• Facilitating student-directed environmental stewardship 
• Providing professional development to increase teacher capacity for outdoor learning
• Researching models and methods
• Sustaining and scaling effective outdoor learning

Findings will inform the development of new "Guidelines for Excellence in Outdoor Learning."

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Key Questions Being Considered

Below are some questions to think about as you prepare to participate in a collaboratory session:

• What are the key benefits of outdoor learning?
• What makes an effective outdoor learning experience?
• How can we design and create spaces that enhance outdoor learning?
• Who should be involved in planning for, delivering, and sustaining outdoor learning?
• What do educators need to increase their capacity for engaging students in outdoor learning?
• What are the barriers, obstacles, perils, and pitfalls of outdoor learning?
• What partnerships, collaborations and resources can enhance or expand outdoor learning?
• Who gets to experience outdoor learning and where are the gaps? Why?
• What are some exemplary case studies, models, resources, and methods?
• How can outdoor learning be sustained, scaled, and afforded so that every child can benefit?

Outdoor Learning Collaboratory

Community Engagement Process

Some of the forums where community engagement sessions have been held to solicit ideas

• Children and Nature Network Conference in Atlanta, May 2022
• Webinar in conjunction with CBEEN / The Outdoor Learning Store on August 24, 2022
• CoOL Outdoor Learning Symposium June, 2022
• EEA/SEEA Regional Conference, September 29 - October 1, 2022 at Unicoi State Park & Lodge in Helen, GA
• NAAEE Conference, October 11-15, 2022 in Tucson, AZ​

Next Steps 

• Analyze input from all the community engagement sessions
• Identify writers
• Draft Guidelines for Excellence
• Create insets, case studies, figures and images
• Submit the draft Guidelines for review by NAAEE affiliates and the wider outdoor learning community
• Revise Guidelines as needed
• Publish the Guidelines
• Create a related workshop and on demand short course