On a windy fall day, students from Forks Middle School on Washington's Olympic Peninsula set off on their first-ever school field trip to Olympic National Park. After driving winding roads into the heart of the park, the students marveled at the lush temperate rainforest, glided across Crescent Lake in shared Salish-style canoes, and hiked as a group to the majestic Mariemere Falls — an unforgettable feat.
At the end of the three-day immersive adventure, teachers and parents noticed that many students who struggled in a traditional classroom environment showed notable improvements in areas such as curriculum retention, increased interest in STEM subjects and student engagement. This was largely due to participating in the outdoor school program, which fostered academic and personal development and deepened connections with nature and the world around them.
The trip was made possible by the recently passed bipartisan bill in Washington State, “Outdoor School for All,” which aims to provide funding for all 5th and 6th graders to attend outdoor school at night. Outdoor School for All highlights the incredible educational benefits and developmental impact these immersive programs have on young people, and hopes that every student in the state can have the same kind of transformative experience as the Forks Middle School students.
NatureBridge, the nonprofit that made it possible for these students to visit Olympic National Park, is one of many organizations helping young people connect with the natural world around them. The nonprofit has been the National Park Service's largest education partner for more than 50 years, welcoming students to these outdoor spaces to enjoy, educate and inspire current and future generations. NatureBridge has welcomed 30,000 students to campuses and provides more than $1.2 million in scholarships each year.
Research over the past 50 years has proven the extraordinary benefits of outdoor learning and the impact it has on students. Research shows that access to critical enrichment programs that give young people the opportunity to pursue their interests and build skills like teamwork, interpersonal relationships, empathy and resilience has become even more difficult since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet with education funding uncertain and teacher shortages persisting, schools are often unwilling, or unable, to experience these benefits for themselves.
Outdoor schools like NatureBridge are educational institutions that aim to fill this gap. Outdoor schools are short-term immersive programs that offer students a variety of opportunities, including week-long overnight experiences where participants can connect with nature, their peers and trained educators. They offer students opportunities for hands-on learning, developing interpersonal skills and ways to connect with naturally and culturally significant places like national parks and other public lands. Other benefits of outdoor schools identified in a 2007 study include increased motivation to learn, improved attention in the classroom and fostering lasting stewardship behaviors.
So why haven’t laws like “Outdoor School for All” been implemented nationwide?
The good news is that demand for outdoor school is rekindling. Several states have introduced or passed bills aimed at ensuring that all students, regardless of economic background, have access to at least one outdoor school learning opportunity during their K-12 journey. Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia have already taken action. Additionally, several federal bills have been recently introduced that would provide funding to ensure that all youth in the U.S. have equal access to outdoor education, including the Outdoor School for All, Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE), and No Child Left Inside Acts. These bills will help address the challenges of shaky school budgets by ensuring that all schools have funding for experiential outdoor learning and providing opportunities for students to participate in these programs.
Over the past decade, Outdoor School for All has become more than just a law, it has become a movement. Oregon was an early adopter of this legislation, and many other states are hoping to follow suit. According to the Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA), Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and others are working to establish statewide funding to provide outdoor school opportunities for students in their states. As state laws of this nature continue to move forward, or, even better, as energy for national legislation continues to grow, organizations like NatureBridge will have more resources to provide students with learning opportunities that strengthen their capacity for environmental awareness, engagement in STEM subjects, peer collaboration, and resilience building.
Unfortunately, outdoor school programs are not yet widespread across the nation, but society may be on the brink of change. Parents and schools have a unique opportunity today to support the Outdoor School for All movement, providing students like those at Forks Middle School with life-changing experiences that not only improve their academic, social and interpersonal skills, but also point the way toward a society more connected to the natural world.
NatureBridge encourages everyone to contact their local elected officials about Outdoor School for All, share their stories about the benefits of spending time outdoors, and learn more about the amazing organizations working to connect more young people to the wonders of the natural world and science. “I hope people are inspired, as I was, by the great work these organizations are doing to make an immediate impact on students today and nurture future generations that understand the benefits of connecting with the natural world,” said Phillip Kilbridge, CEO and President of NatureBridge.