- English
- Español
Be part of outdoor school
Many Oregonians have important stories to tell about the outdoor educational experiences that changed their lives in positive and often substantial ways.
With the successful adoption of Measure 99, voters made outdoor school a right for all Oregon 5th and 6th grade students. OSU Extension Service Outdoor School manages the distribution of these public funds to schools and districts to administer these programs.
Outdoor school is making a difference in the lives of children and youth
The OSU Extension Outdoor School program’s student outcomes evaluation contributes to a growing body of evidence locally and nationally that outdoor school is making a difference in the lives of children and youth. Oregon students who attend outdoor school show:
- Improved school engagement
- Interest in learning
- Positive school behaviors
- Environmental attitudes
- 21st century skills (such as problem solving)
- and many other positive outcomes.
What’s more, the growth students experience at outdoor school is greater than what they experience in a typical week of school.
Support all students
Systemic-level change to outdoor school is essential to ensure the equitable inclusion of all participants.
Explore the equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion resources to guide you in prioritizing the most marginalized identities and communities in outdoor school.
Accessing the funds
Outdoor School is an immersive outdoor education experience for Oregon's 5th and 6th graders in the world's greatest classroom. In Oregon's natural landscape, students learn about themselves, their peers, the environment and natural resources and leave with skills to prepare them for the future.
See who is eligible for funding and what costs it covers to finance the experience for students across Oregon. This information will help you plan your program and budget.
Ready to apply and report?
Leap at the chance before the deadlines. Learn the ins and outs of when, where, who and how to apply for and report on the use of funds. We step you through the process and give tips along the way.
Outdoor school curriculum and programming
We recognize the key role that educators play in helping us to achieve our goal for every student to have an inclusive, meaningful and high-quality outdoor school experience.
Because of the rich diversity of outdoor school programs, there is no single curriculum that can meet the needs of every program and every community in every location. Find support and resources to get you started.
Professional development
We believe in meaningful and inspiring classroom and outdoor experiences. Outdoor school centers culturally responsive and inclusive practices in environmental education.
Learn about how we prepare formal and informal educators to provide students with outdoor experiences through high-quality professional development opportunities and tools.
Stay connected!
We have four email lists for different audiences. Please subscribe for each list you would like to join. We value your time, and our lists allow you to receive information that is most relevant to you. On average, each list will receive one email each month.