Equity in education: Taking the Classroom outside

Using Outdoor Spaces as Essential Assets

Providing equitable resources for all children is critical to societies' success, particularly during the current pandemic and going forward. The following resources guide school districts and teachers in using outdoor spaces as essential assets to reopen and operate during COVID and beyond.

Children in Nature Network

C&NN: Schools. Spending even a short amount of time outdoors helps children focus for learning.
C&NN Resource Hub. Collection of free toolkits, reports, infographic and advocacy tools designed to help connect children, families, and communities to nature.
Early Childhood Nature Connections Toolkit. Bring nature's benefits to young children in your city!

Green Schoolyards America National Outdoor Learning Initiative. Provides hundreds of resources for schools and districts across the country use outdoor spaces as essential assets they reopen during COVID and beyond.

National Outdoor Learning Library
Community of Practices. Upcoming and past recorded meetings
Activity Guides. FREE, downloadable activity guides.

Natural Learning Initiative's Early Childhood Outdoor Play & Learning Resources. Resources to support families schooling at home, teachers and children in childcare centers, and early childhood college educators.

NAAEE. COVID-19 Resources, Tips, and support for teaching outdoors.

NAAEE/NWF Guide to Advocating for Outdoor Classrooms in Coronavirus-Era School Reopening.

Outdoor Learning Environment - Example Procedures for Teaching Outdoors. Developed by Austin ISD; available to anyone desiring adopt/adapt to teach in the outdoors during COVID.

Texas Children in Nature - U-Tube Channel. Helpful videos and workshops supporting teacher's use of the great outdoors to inspire learning!