Taking Learning Outside series— 2024–2025 Highlights
This past school year, educators across Southwest Washington embraced the outdoors in a big way through the “Taking Learning Outside” series. Spanning from September to June, this hands-on professional development series brought together teachers, informal educators, and community partners to explore outdoor learning practices that are both engaging and practical.
Hosted collaboratively by ESD 112, the Lower Columbia Nature Network, Pacific Education Institute, WSU Extension Master Gardener Program, Lower Columbia School Gardens, and the Washington Science Teachers Association—with funding from ClimeTime—this series offered nine rich, hands-on courses designed to support educators in integrating outdoor learning into their practice.
Reaching Across the Region
With 9 training workshops hosted in various school districts—Longview, Battle Ground, Camas, and Vancouver—the program reached 168 educators, offering 588 clock hours of continuing education. These sessions were a blend of virtual and in-person learning, held in real school gardens and campuses.
Training Topics that Inspire
Participants dove into a wide range of outdoor learning themes, including:
Utilizing school campuses as outdoor classrooms
Year-round school garden engagement
Forest-based youth leadership projects
Prepping and implementing off-campus field trips
Classroom management outdoors
Tree planting and campus restoration projects
Teachers Walked Away Inspired
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. One participant said, “This was the best PD session I’ve attended in years.” Another called for whole-staff participation: “Have the entire staff take this outdoor learning—more people will be excited about going the extra mile.”
Real Schools, Real Ideas
Attendees toured schools like Illahee Elementary, Odyssey Middle School, and Flex Academy High School, gathering inspiration from working gardens and successful campus restoration projects. Along the way, they connected with local community organizations, shared resources, and built a strong network for future partnerships.
Looking Forward
As we look ahead, the message is clear: outdoor learning isn't just a trend—it's a powerful way to engage students, empower educators, and deepen learning through real-world experiences. Thanks to support from OSPI, the “Take Learning Outside” program is helping reshape how we think about where and how learning happens.
The “Taking Learning Outside” series builds educators’ confidence to bring curriculum outdoors—creating student-engaging, inquiry-based experiences beyond the classroom walls. Whether you’re just starting with outdoor learning or aiming to deepen your garden-based projects, this well-rounded lineup provides both inspiration and actionable strategies for the whole school year.
Interested in joining next year’s trainings or learning more? Stay tuned for upcoming dates and opportunities to connect with this growing movement.
See you outside!
