Outdoor Education

Any educator can tell you that outdoor education and exploration, whether it’s in the students schoolyard or on a local field trip, can open children’s minds to the way the world works and create a fascination with nature. Since documenting the impacts of outdoor education can be difficult, the University of Chicago was commissioned to conduct an independent study of Boston’s Science in the Schoolyard (SSY) initiative. The survey results (from science teachers) highlighted the power of having outdoor classrooms on school sites and targeted training programs for educators.

Some of the findings of the Science in the Schoolyard Evaluation were:

• Students who go outdoors for science indicate greater interest and confidence in science.
• Students who go outdoors for science are more likely to report that they observe, investigate, use science vocabulary, and demonstrate independence and curiosity.
• Teachers report particular benefits of outdoor science education for English Language Learners and students with disabilities, including vocabulary development.

From 1995-2013, the Boston Schoolyard Initiative (BSI) transformed Boston’s schoolyards from barren asphalt lots into dynamic centers for recreation, learning, and community life. School-by-school, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, BSI connected children, families, community members, and teachers with vibrant outdoor spaces for increased physical activity and creative new approaches to using the schoolyard for teaching and learning.

The 35 Outdoor Classrooms built and 88 Schoolyards revitalized over almost 20 years provide urban schools with varied natural eco-system features, weather stations, vegetable and herb beds, and safe play spaces. The Schoolyards promote physical activity for students and the Outdoor Classrooms provide outdoor learning spaces that nurture an awareness and stewardship for the natural environment. BSI also developed outdoor lessons and professional development for teachers.

BSI accomplished their work through a public-private partnership between the City of Boston, Boston Public Schools, and the Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative. 

Read more about BSI’s accomplishments in the The Atlantic and about how “Boston Leads the Way  Outside” in the fall 2014 Foss Newsletter. Explore a wealth of schoolyard and outdoor classroom design, maintenance, curriculum and more at schoolyards.org. For a school-based example, follow updates from the Everett School’s outdoor classroom.