By Shelley Barker, Director of School Engagement, Outdoor Schools WA
Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives - Thomas Berry
When Outdoor Schools WA (OSWA) formed three years ago, the team decided on a marker for our success: we would know we’d done our job well when every student in Washington had the opportunity to spend a fully-funded week at high quality outdoor schools during their 5th or 6th grade year. We also acknowledged that achieving this overarching goal would involve a lot more than simply distributing subsidies. We’d need to support teachers and administrators in school buildings. We’d need to work with existing sites and emerging sites across the state. We’d need to create an expectation of excellent pedagogical practices, standards aligned lessons, and inclusivity. It’s a tall order we’ve made for ourselves! This year’s work took us closer to our goal:
Funding Overnight Outdoor Educational Experiences
During the 2023-2024 school year, OSWA funded outdoor school experiences for over 42,000 kids in Washington. Students served live in all corners of the state and attended one of 31 sites eligible to host schools receiving funds through our office. As of publication, $18 million dollars have been allocated to support public, charter and tribal schools for the 2024-2025 school year, which will serve over 51,000 students. We are currently working on a budget for the 25-27 biennium, which we hope will allow for per-pupil growth that matches our incrementally increasing numbers over the last three years as well as increase supports for cost increases.
Trainings
Twice yearly, OSWA plans and holds a four-day training for teachers/school staff and outdoor learning center staff. Held a different sites around the state, we gathered at Ocean Park Camp and Retreat Center in Ocean Park, WA in the fall and Camp Koinonia in Easton, WA in the spring. Both events were well attended and well received. Training weeks are structured like outdoor school, giving adults experiences similar to the ones their students will have. Sessions explore hands-on learning, incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing and doing, working with high school student leaders, logistics of outdoor school, and many more. Participants leave feeling enriched, connected, and ready to make outdoor school a reality in their districts and at their sites.
Two Tools Developed by OSWA
The legislation SSHB2078 (Outdoor Learning Grant Program, spring of 2022) outlined the need for guidelines for outdoor school site operation to promote the ideas that no matter where children go for outdoor school, their experiences are aligned to state learning standards, connected to classroom learning, are engaging and enriching. This year, OSWA joined forces with OSPI, Pacific Education Institute, and outdoor education site leaders to create Characteristics of High-Quality Outdoor Schools. Many folks from the ranks of outdoor education work joined together to examine a first draft of the document, providing invaluable feedback and observations. OSWA and crew went back to the drawing board, making changes based on feedback. After reviews by two more groups (one of which were high school leaders from across the state), Characteristics of High-Quality Outdoor Schools went to publication and then out into the world. A training in March convened, with 20 site staff attending and learning how to use the rubric, the program survey, and the action plan template to identify areas of need and make changes to strengthen programs. So far, Characteristics of High-Quality Outdoor Schools has been well received by those in the field. OSWA is currently working on revisions for Volume II.
Additionally, and at OSPI’s request, OSWA created a tool outdoor sites will use to provide evidence of a safe program. The Safety and Management Review has sites self-report evidence of human resources practices, health and safety inspections, background checks, and staff training. Once a site meets these requirements, they are issued a seal to display on their website. In order to receive refunds from our office for outdoor education experiences, schools must utilize a site that has passed the Safety and Management Review.
Support for Schools and Outdoor Learning Sites
Outdoor Schools Washington believes having a strong, connected outdoor education plan in our state means assisting both those who produce programs and those who attend. Over the past year, OSWA continued the practice of reaching out to schools and sites to offer support. Sometimes support looks like problem solving (“Help! All the sites we’ve talked to are full! Can you help us find a place?”), assistance (“How do we plan for a week at outdoor school?”) and serving as a sounding board (“A school made reservations for 100 kids and only 50 showed up. We need a plan for when this happens in the future”). Assistance is offered through phone calls, online meetings, face-to-face meetings, and through our Thursday office hours (from 4pm-5pm each Thursday). Through providing support, we want schools and sites to know OSWA is happy to help do whatever it takes to make sure everyone has the knowledge, practices, and resources they need to make outdoor learning successful for ALL Washington students.
Looking Forward
This next year brings all kinds of exciting projects as Outdoor Schools WA continues to facilitate growth in overnight outdoor school experiences. Plans include:
Co-hosting a Statewide Conference for Environmental Educators, which will take place November 14-17 at Cispus Learning Center. OSWA is proud to partner with E3 Washington to bring this opportunity for learning and networking to the folks doing important work in our outdoor schools.
We’re holding OSWA’s Leadership Academy for new-to-profession (0-3 years of experience) site leaders, slated to launch in January 2025. This cohort will work together to learn about staffing, budgeting, instructional coaching, site/program logistics, and evaluating staff. Contact Dr. Roberta McFarland at roberta@outdoorschoolswa.org for more details.
Fall and Spring Outdoor School Trainings will take place at Camp Casey (October 28-31) and at a site to-be-determined in the spring. School staff and outdoor site staff are invited to join us at this no-cost training. Watch our website (www.outdoorschoolswa.org) for details and registration.
OSWA is Hiring New Staff Members to help manage the growing responsibilities at Outdoor Schools WA. In June 2024 we’ll add a position for outreach and communication. A year from now, we hope to add a position to coordinate the roles of high school students as counselors/leaders at outdoor school.
We’ll make Updates on Characteristics of High-Quality Outdoor Schools and Safety and Management Review. This work includes adding an additional characteristic (the “who”) that focuses on outdoor school instructors for Characteristics of High-Quality Outdoor Schools and sessions with state risk management offices to review/revise the Safety and Management Review process.
We’ll continue to Advocate for full-funding for outdoor school, as well as working to include more districts, schools, and students in overnight outdoor education experiences. Again, we’ve done our job when outdoor school is fully funded for everyone.
The strides Outdoor Schools WA made in the past year reflect our deep belief in the transformative power of nature-based learning. Looking ahead, we remain committed to our vision of a future where every student has the opportunity to connect with the natural world. Together, we'll continue to cultivate a love for the outdoors and shape the next generation of environmental stewards.
