Teaching Beyond the Classroom

“What do we do about it now?” If we find ourselves asking this question with regard to freshwater in Oregon it means that we didn’t plan ahead. If we had, we would have been taking care of our freshwater health all along and wouldn’t need to spend our time and resources today figuring out how to fix our current problems.

Fixing our watersheds implies a need to engage people to care. Just like restoration work requires a need to attract land owners and agencies towards positive change, educational efforts need be just as attractive in engaging the next generation of watershed stewards. The best way to encourage our youth to care about our watersheds is to give them more opportunities for learning outside the classroom walls.

Nature’s classroom brings real world relevance to learning while fulfilling essential educational goals. Students learn about science, math, reading, writing, creative arts, local history, culture and politics all through the natural world. They can use environmental projects to create classroom and community presentations, hone in public speaking skills, experience career-related learning and earn credit towards high school graduation. The natural world helps students to develop problem solving skills, understand cause and effect relationships, work together to address real world issues, develop empathy and practice responsibility. It provides a place to wonder and call forward curiosity.

Before coming to Oregon Trout, I spent some time working with students from Northeast Washington, DC and observed how they grew as a result of participation in an after school program at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (KAG). The wetlands were located within the students’ local neighborhood, yet many of the students had never entered its gates.

The after school program lasted for two years. During that time, I saw the lives of the students become enriched. KAG provided a place for these kids to feel safe and connected. We worked with students on identifying native animals, learning about medicinal uses for cattail and making maps of the ponds. We played “environmental kickball” and created community projects.

Over time, we noticed the impact of KAG on the students. Some started coming to the Park more frequently, others commented how they knew more about science and things like photosynthesis.

One of the biggest impacts of this program may not have been the effect on the students, but the effect that the students had on me. I saw them emerge as leaders and begin taking responsibility for their actions, even picking up their own trash. I watched as they stopped blaming one another for their problems and started taking personal responsibility.

The program eventually stopped being offered after school and became a permanent part of science class curriculum for two nearby elementary schools. It was a great way to bring science to life.

This past year has seen national recognition for a movement towards getting our kids outside. Research supports a multitude of developmental benefits through interactions with nature, so how can we explain denying these experiences to our children through school? Bringing students outdoors to learn is to recognize that nature provides a more engaging, stimulating, and inquiry-invoking classroom than one bound by walls. However, as it currently exists, ours is a system in which students are required to take standardized tests, satisfy curricular benchmarks and exhibit acceptable achievement levels. Time in nature is compromised as educational demands become more defined and confined. We have children who encounter problems like obesity, anxiety and hyperactivity because their outlets are electrical instead of recreational. We have more children taking Ritalin than taking rides on their bikes in the park.

If we want to set the next generation on a path to becoming independent thinkers capable of preparing for the road ahead, we must continue campaigning for the incorporation of the natural world into every classroom. It seems logical to start with science, but these lessons should be incorporated throughout disciplines to bring regional relevance and connectivity to the educational experience. Remember—before Robert Frost wrote his influential poem, he went for a walk in the woods. At the Healthy Waters Institute, we believe that all students should have the opportunity to benefit from the inspiration and real-life lessons that exist beyond the classroom.

Traci Price
Healthy Waters Institute Director