To help educators make the case for using outdoor classrooms and spaces in COVID-19-era reopening plans, NAAEE has teamed up with the National Wildlife Federation to compile helpful source information and policy advocacy tips that can be used by parents, teachers, civic organizations, and others. The purpose of this guide is to help energize a large-scale nationwide force of advocates to encourage school officials and educators to apply some portion of their current and future Federal reopening funds and other public funding resources being made available to the effective use of outdoor classrooms.

Across the U.S., state and local officials, school administrators, classroom teachers, and education advocates have been working towards the safe reopening of schools. As the 2020-2021 school year gets underway, millions of students and teachers are returning to learning under a wide range of conditions, including in-person classrooms, entirely remote instruction, and a number of different hybrid models that combine the two.

For the last few months, proponents of environmental education and outdoor classrooms have been advocating that schools assess using the school grounds and other opportunities to take learning outside to keep students and teachers safer this school year. After all, guidance from the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that schools consider use of the outdoors as much as possible in their reopening plans. Some of this advocacy seems to be having an impact—at least in creating a permission structure for schools that may be interested in using the outdoors for learning spaces. Several states have folded references to outdoor learning and environmental literacy into their state-wide guidance for reopening schools. And in New York City, the Mayor recently announced that schools would be permitted to pursue using school grounds, street closures, and nearby parks for outdoor classroom space.

But to see robust integration of environmental outdoor education taking place on any large scale will take time and flexibility. Schools are adapting their plans based on myriad factors and localized circumstances. And, their plans are changing even as the school year begins, with many schools starting off with remote learning and expecting a longer transition before students will return to in-person learning. With continued state and local efforts, advocates can support school districts, teachers, and parents as they explore new ways of thinking about how and where students learn and what sorts of partnerships can best support a return to school that is not only safe, but contributes to a vastly more healthy and meaningful education.

Download the new guide to advocacy for outdoor classrooms here.