Professional development
OSU Extension Outdoor School offers events, online courses, and online resources for professional development opportunities. Review available stipends, substitute reimbursements and credits for attendees.
Viristar Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course
The Viristar Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course is a month-long, online training designed for outdoor school providers, sites, teachers, and districts running their own programs. The course is globally recognized, academically rigorous, and combines proven safety models with practical tools to help outdoor school programs strengthen safety systems and create more resilient experiences for all. Please review the course description, syllabus and additional details.
Free enrollment opportunity
Through our partnership with Viristar, the Outdoor School Program is offering access to this $649 course at no cost for eligible participants enrolling in cohorts from January 2026 to February 2027.
You may enroll in the course at no cost if you meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Support students attending outdoor school with OSU Outdoor School funds (e.g., teachers, coordinators, administrators)
- Work or volunteer for an outdoor school provider/site serving OSU Outdoor School-funded students
- Have accepted a position with such a provider or site
- Operate a camp or site preparing to host OSU Outdoor School-funded outdoor school students
- Are planning or launching outdoor school programming in a school, district, camp, or site, even if it is not yet fully established
- If you have another connection to outdoor school that is not listed here, please contact Lauren Rodgers at [email protected] for guidance on eligibility.
Complete the interest survey below to begin the enrollment process and receive more information.
Events
The Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service Outdoor School program offers educator workshops and professional learning opportunities developed and facilitated by our team and/or in collaboration with our partners at the Oregon Natural Resources Education Program (ONREP), Education Service Districts (ESDs) and districts, nongovernmental organizations, and others.
We welcome all educators who support students attending outdoor school, including (but not limited to!):
- 5th and 6th grade classroom and special education teachers
- school and district administrators
- outdoor school providers and site representatives
- field instructors
- outdoor school volunteers
See upcoming workshops being offered below or in our Events menu.
The 2027 Oregon Outdoor School Gathering is canceled
Thank you for your patience as we navigated the budget reduction’s impact on the 2027 Oregon Outdoor School Gathering. As you may know, the 2026 legislative short session has ended, and it is now clear that our outdoor school budget will not increase for the 2026-2027 school year. We will be going into the upcoming school year with far less funding than we need to support the outdoor school programs that schools want to do. To prioritize statewide outdoor school funding for districts amidst continued funding constraints, we have decided to cancel the 2027 Gathering.
We see the immense value of gathering in person as a statewide community to build connections, share knowledge and collaborate with the broader outdoor school network. While we cannot do that through the Gathering, we plan to continue creating smaller, meaningful opportunities for connection and collaboration throughout this year and into the future. Stay tuned to our Events page for opportunities to connect and engage.
Stipends and credit
For most educator professional development events hosted or sponsored by the OSU Extension Service Outdoor School program, we offer stipends, substitute reimbursements, and/or Professional Development Units (PDUs)/Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to participants.
On-demand online courses
Professional development resources
See some of the materials, slide presentations and webinar recordings that you may have missed or want to revisit.
Includes topics that can help implement trauma-informed care, universal design, social-emotional learning or other topics as they apply to outdoor school.
Do you have suggestions or need accommodations?
Do you have requests or suggestions for workshops our team could offer to Oregon outdoor school educators? We would love to hear your ideas – big or small – as we continue to plan workshops.
We are committed to making our professional development workshops as accessible and inclusive as possible for all educators. If you are interested in attending a workshop and are wondering whether your needs will/can be met, we are happy to discuss accommodations that will make your full participation possible.
Please contact Lauren Rodgers, our Curriculum and Professional Development Coordinator.
