Build Support

What: Build support and enthusiasm for taking students outside among others connected to education.

How:

Among administrators: To build school or district administrative support for taking students outside, consider how time outdoors can support the goals of the school. The beginning of this toolkit outlines some of the extensive research on the benefits spending time outside can bring to students (and adults!). Ask for a meeting with the administrator or decision-maker and show them this toolkit, or pick out the research addressing school-specific goals, contexts, or concerns.

Among teachers and staff: To build support among teachers and staff, try these things:

• • Request or provide professional development related to taking students outside. See Professional Development and the Workshop Guide (p. XX) for ideas on what to cover and how to run professional development activities focused on taking students outside.
  • Start an outdoor educator group. Gather a few teachers in your school who are already interested in taking students outside, and work together to plan activities. Co-planning can help with generating ideas, motivation, problem-solving, reminders, and interest. Seeing how other teachers in a school find ways to take students outside can help encourage other educators to try taking students out too.
  • Run an outdoor campaign in your school. Have a competition to see which class can get outside the most over a specific month. See Use Campaign for details.

Among students: Students are often eager to go outside, but they may see outside time as a break rather than as learning time. To build support for focus and attention during outdoor activities, talk to students about why you want to do activities outside, what will be expected of them while they are outside, and what the consequences might be for not meeting those expectations. Having a clear purpose for an outdoor activity (e.g., gather 10 leaves, read in your sit-spot for 20 minutes, run around the building 3 times), and why they will do that activity (e.g., to compare leaf shapes for science, to have a calm quiet spot for reading, to refocus energy after a challenging lesson) can help students think of time outdoors as intentional learning time. See Class Contract, Involve Students in Planning, or Routines for ideas.Students may also be hesitant or unwilling to go outside. They may feel this way for a variety of reasons, such as concerns about getting their clothes dirty, dislike of unpleasant weather, concerns about not having or needing to borrow winter clothes, lack of experience in natural settings, concerns about bugs, or concerns about social interactions in a less-structured setting. Talk to individual students about why they don’t want to go outside, and what might help them feel more comfortable or willing. See Clothing (and specifically, the section on class sets) for ideas on weather-appropriate clothing, Outdoor Free Play for ideas on helping students feel comfortable in natural areas, and Class Contract or Social Emotional Learning for ideas on navigating social interactions.

Among families: Build support among students’ families by sharing your plans and motivations for taking students outside. Tell families at the beginning of the year, beginning of the week, or whenever you know your plans, that you will be taking students outdoors. Share the reasons you want to do this—the learning it will support and benefits you expect students to experience. Send reminders about what sorts of clothing students might need on particular days, when they might get dirty, or when they might need extras to help address barriers related to clothing or dirt. Engage families in thinking about spending time outdoors. Have students ask their families about their favorite places to go or things to do outside, or collect data from adults in their families about things they did outside when they were the students’ age. If there is a time when families come to the school (conferences, curriculum night) take families outdoors so they can see the places their kids will be learning and tell them about the activities you plan to do with students. Have students write about or draw pictures of outdoor activities and spaces, and send their finished work home to share with their families.

Among the school’s community or neighbors: Involve the community in planning for any large schoolyard changes. Invite community members to give input to generate ideas and enthusiasm for the project. Consider multi-use spaces and how schoolyard projects can support other community groups or activities. If you want to build a nature trail, can it also be used for jogging? If you create outdoor seating areas for classes, can families use them on the weekend? If there are near-neighbors—people whose homes or businesses are close to school grounds—consider any impact schoolyard activities might have on them, let them know of long-term plans or repeated activities, and ask them for ideas or input on activities in outdoor neighborhood spaces.

For yourself: If you are interested in getting students outside but find it’s hard to make it happen, consider finding another educator in your school or district to partner with. An outdoor partner can help in many ways- they can share ideas, remind you to plan for outdoor time, strategize ways to increase support from others or overcome barriers, collaborate on developing spaces or plans, and provide motivation and accountability.

• • • If you are at the same school as your partner, try these things:
      • Plan times for your classes to work together outside (promotes community among students, provides accountability, increases the number of adults outdoors)
      • Work with another class to develop or take care of an outdoor space (at the same or different times—promotes community among students, divides the work of planning and caring for a space among more people). Have students write letters to the other class about the plans and activities to practice writing and communication skills.
    • If you are at different schools (or at the same school!), try these things:
      • Brainstorm ideas and collaborate on planning ways to take students outside. Share activities or tips, work together to problem-solve, and hold each other accountable for implementing plans.
    • Practice literacy and communication skills by setting up outdoor pen pals between schools, and have students write about, draw, or map their schoolyard and outdoor activities to share with the other class.
    • If you are an administrator:
      • Find someone in a similar position in another school or district to brainstorm ideas, share successes and failures, strategize ways to build interest or support teachers, and problem- solve barriers.

When: Anytime

Who: Anyone interested in building support for taking students outside

Materials: Varies

Why: Increasing support at all levels- administration, teachers, school staff, parents, and kids- can help reduce and overcome barriers to taking students outside, and can increase opportunities and impact.

Barriers addressed: Concerns About Dirt; Educator Awareness; Educator Interest/Willingness; Educators’ Time; Materials and Funds; Nature Concerns; Policies; School Culture; Support from Authority