UMaine Extension pilot program to take classroom learning outdoors

Three people are at a picnic table with maps.

Photo / Courtesy University of Maine University of Maine adjunct instructor Sarah Timm (middle) works with students on orienteering skills at Bryant Pond in late August as part of the “Bringing the Classroom Outdoors” course.

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By Laurie Schreiber

The University of Maine Extension is launching the Outdoor School for All program for thousands of Maine students in grades four through eight.

“Research has reinforced that outdoor learning benefits students’ academic performance and their physical and social-emotional wellbeing,” said Ryder Scott, executive director of UMaine Extension 4-H Centers.

The program will provide science, leadership and environmental stewardship learning through overnight outdoor experiences in the coming school year, at no cost to their districts

Legislation establishing the program was signed into law in May.

Funding for the launch was made possible by $450,000 from donors, including the Betterment Fund, Horizon Foundation and Quimby Family Foundation.

Learning centers

The program will be administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, which will make grants to certified outdoor learning centers, enabling them to provide students in grades four through eight three-day, two-night outdoor educational experiences.

About one-fifth of Maine public school students already participate in overnight programming through the organizations that make up the Maine Outdoor School for All coalition, including UMaine Extension’s 4-H Learning Centers, the Chewonki Foundation, the Ecology School and Schoodic Institute, typically paid for by the sending district or private foundations.

With the establishment of the program in state statute, initial private funding and a campaign to raise an additional $1 million this year, Maine has become one of just four states committed to providing outdoor learning opportunities for all public school students, regardless of the socioeconomic status of their family or their district.

Oregon, Washington and Minnesota have similar programs funded by lottery proceeds and appropriations.

At current funding levels, UMaine Extension expects the program will serve 1,000 additional students in 2025-26. When fully funded at $6 million annually, the program will be accessible to all students in grades four through eight in the state.

UMaine Extension will certify outdoor education programs across the state and issue grant funding for the programs to partner with school administrative units and provide immersive outdoor education.

Labor force

Students and teachers will participate in hands-on activities aligned with state learning results. The core curriculum will help students develop STEM, leadership, communication and collaboration skills.

“This program will create pathways for students to attend Maine’s public universities and help build a labor force skilled in resource management, conservation, outdoor recreation, agriculture and forestry,” said Hannah Carter, UMaine Extension’s dean.

Teacher education

Since 2023, UMaine has been teaching teachers how to bring the classroom outdoors, through a summer outdoor leadership and education graduate certificate course.

Most students taking the class this year were practicing teachers in Maine seeking to incorporate more outdoor learning experiences into their schools.

Students visited schools in the Oxford Hills School District to see how outdoor spaces are used, developed outdoor lesson plans and practiced teaching them to their classmates.

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