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in 2016 Oregon voters passed measure 99
which provides funding for every fifth
or sixth grade student in the state of
Oregon the opportunity to attend and
experience an outdoor school event
the OSU Extension Service outdoor school
program oversees the allocation of this
funding to school districts throughout
the state
in the far Southeast corner of Oregon
lies Harney County one of the most
remote and underserved regions of our
state
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recently the number of kindergarten
through 8th grade students enrolled in
these small and Rural schools ranged
from 2 to 14 students
often the few students who attend these
rural schools are also siblings who can
commute upwards of 30 minutes one way
in 2019 seven of nine school districts
in the county were not accessing measure
99 funding the OSU outdoor school
program which works to ensure that every
student in Oregon has an equitable and
impactful Outdoor School experience
recognized this and begin the process of
identifying obstacles that limited
participation in these programs over the
past several years the OSU outdoor
school program worked closely with
Partners in the community to identify
and better understand the barriers to
participation for these Harney County
students
these conversations and relationships
with Community stakeholders led to the
identification of two main issues
these seven small and Rural school
districts are K-8 schools with combined
classrooms this means that many of these
schools don't always have an eligible
fifth or sixth grade student in order to
access measure 99 funding
additionally during spring and fall
months when Outdoor School typically
occurs these students are often needed
at home to work on the ranches where
they live
children leaving home for multiple days
at a time during these key times of the
year would not adequately reflect the
values of the community
after developing a better understanding
of the variables that have historically
made Outdoor School inaccessible to this
region the OSU outdoor school program
then worked closely with the Harney
County Educational Service District ESD
to develop a three-year bridge to
Outdoor School Grant
this grant adapts the measure 99
guidelines and allows the ESD to design
a program that meets the unique needs of
this incredible rural Harney County
community
with this grant funding the ESC began
implementing their Outdoor School
programming in the fall of 2021 and was
able to include all students from these
small and Rural schools
this past October students attended a
three-day two-night outdoor school
program at omsi's Camp Hancock this Camp
is in the heart of central Oregon's High
Desert and adjacent to the John Day
Fossil Beds National Monument
here students learned about geology and
paleontology as they explored the
breathtaking landscape while learning
about the various processes that formed
the area and those that are now eroding
it
students were educated about the rock
cycle and the local formations that
represent 50 million years of geologic
climactic and environmental change
students also learned how various
fossils form and what scientists can and
have uncovered about the area's Natural
History by studying them
when asked about something new she
learned at outdoor school one student
said I learned that fossils are actually
only one kind of rock also I learned how
they were made and how and why there
were so many Leaf fossils versus animal
ones
in March of 2023 students visited
Anthony Lakes ski resort located in the
Elkhorn mountains as part of their
spring Outdoor School experience
for most students this was their first
experience skiing or snowboarding during
this trip students were given lessons
from the amazing staff at Anthony Lakes
Additionally the walawa Avalanche Center
gave a lesson on snow science safety and
Avalanche rescue
one student said their favorite part was
interacting with peers and learning new
skills like what to do in an avalanche
these outdoor schools also provide
various opportunities for students to
work through diverse team challenges in
order to build trust cooperation and
group cohesion among the students
when asked what her favorite part about
outdoor school was one student said I
would say my favorite part was learning
about fossils and how they were made
also getting to hang out with all the
schools
this unique outdoor school program gives
these students the opportunities to meet
learn and work alongside peers of their
own age and grade
opportunities that may readily exist in
Oregon's more urban areas but are not
necessarily common at these remote and
self-proclaimed Frontier schools
another student said I don't have a
least favorite part of the trip but if I
had to have one it would be leaving
with this grant funding 50 students from
the most remote and underserved portions
of our state are now accessing and
participating in an impactful outdoor
school experience
the OSU outdoor school program believes
in creating Equitable culturally
responsive and interdisciplinary Outdoor
School experiences for all students
across Oregon
every Community has its unique needs and
the OSU outdoor school program is
committed to continuing to collaborate
and work closely with Partners across
the state to provide an empowering and
inspiring learning experience for all
students
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