eeGuidance for Schools
The outdoors are a resource for learning, engagement, and health, and it should be available to all, not just a privileged few. Community-based environmental and outdoor education programs offer some solutions to challenges schools face now and in the future.
About the eeGuidance
As with any strategy, these recommendations will not fully address all of the challenges facing schools. But environmental and outdoor education programs present promising tools for schools and districts and are essential partners in creating a more just and sustainable future for all.
eeGuidance for Reopening Schools
NAAEE, the Affiliate Network, and CAEE convened over 65 community feedback calls with hundreds of environmental and outdoors learning providers from around the country during the spring of 2020 that supported the creation of eeGuidance for Reopening Schools. This guidance outlines several specific areas where environmental and outdoor education programs can help schools, students, teachers and families. The following areas are expanded upon in the eeGuidance:
- Extending and Expanding Learning Spaces into the Community
- Using the School Grounds for Learning
- Supporting Teaching and Learning
- Creating Healthier Learning Environments
- Virtual Teaching and Learning
- Supporting At-Home Learning
Read the eeGuidance Read the Press Release
eeGuidance: A Roadmap for the Use of ESSER Funds
Over $1.6 Billion dollars has been distributed to School Districts across Colorado as part of recovery act funds to help support maintaining a safe learning environment, recovery from learning loss, and more over the next three years. Environmental and outdoor learning is an allowable use of funds. In fact, school districts are required to dedicate a portion of funding to summer enrichment activities and after school programs. NAAEE and the affiliate network has been working to create resources to help YOUR program advocate for funding with the school districts you work with. These resources provide the evidence base for outdoor and environmental learning and can be modified and adapted to incorporate your specific program and how the school district can implement it. Contact Katie Navin at CAEE for support in your outreach efforts or to obtain editable copies of the guidance.
Read eeGuidance: A Roadmap for Use of ESSER Funds
Other Helpful Guidance Documents:
- Using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds to Support EE, NAAEE
- Thriving Schools and EE Infographic, NAAEE
- Outdoor Spaces as Essential Assets, Green Schoolyards America
- Outdoor Learning Opportunities for Healthy Students, Inside-Outside Advisory Group
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How to Conduct an Outdoor Space Inventory, Teens to Trails
- Outdoor Classroom Design and More, Green Schoolyards of America
- Outdoor Infrastructure Cost Estimate Tool, Green Schoolyards of America
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Draft Outdoor School Model Schedules, Green Schoolyards of America
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Guide to Advocating for Outdoor Classrooms in Coronavirus-Era School Reopening, NAAEE and NWF
- Draft Learn Outside Instructional Model, Green Schoolyards of America
Share the eeGuidance
Do you support safe, equitable environmental and outdoor learning as a solution to the many challenges facing schools as they reopen? Use this sample template to send a letter with the eeGuidance to your local school district or this sample Press Release to alert your local media.

Find eeResources
Are you a teacher trying to put online resources together? Are you a parent suddenly homeschooling your kids? NAAEE has compiled a list of resources designed to keep learners of all ages interested and engaged during the crisis, from hands-on activities and lesson plans to websites, virtual tours, and more.

eeVirtual Learning
In partnership with the eMovement and Thorne Nature Experience, we developed a searchable online database of free eeVirtual Content for grades K-8 that can be used during the school day or during at-home learning to engage students in environmental and outdoor learning.
News
- With Colorado Schools resuming classes amid Coronavirus, the Outdoors provides a safe place to learn (Colorado)
- Enviro Education Network Offers Guidelines for taking Learners Outside this Fall (Colorado)
- Schools consider outdoor learning as a solution to reopen during COVID-19 (Colorado)
- Take it Outside: Street Space for Schools (Streets Blog Denver)
- School in the Woods sharing outdoor education advice during pandemic (Colorado)
- Perspective: When your classroom is outside, school is always open (North Carolina)
- Outdoor Classrooms in the Age of COVID-19: Pros and Cons (Education Week)
- Could schools hold classes outdoors to reduce coronavirus risks? Denmark tried it, and it worked (Maryland/DC)
- School openings across globe suggest ways to keep coronavirus at bay, despite outbreaks (Science Mag)
- Get Out (NY Times)
- Can we have class outside this year? A better answer to coronavirus schooling (NY Daily News)
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How Schools Can Reopen Safely: Recommendations From Health Experts (Wall Street Journal)
- Rice University is building nine outdoor structures for in-person classes, activities (Houston Chronicle)
- Teachers’ plea for outdoor learning (NY Daily News)
- Coronavirus: Outdoor classes? (Seattle Times)
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Schools are scrambling for tents. But public ones aren’t so sure they can afford the cover. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
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Mount Madonna School moves outside for fall 2020 (California)
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Forest schools: An alternative to in-classroom or remote learning (WXII)
- Central Florida school prepares outdoor classroom to prevent COVID-19 spread among students (Florida)
- Schools Beat Earlier Plagues With Outdoor Classes. We Should, Too. (NY Times)
- Marin school finds pandemic workaround: the outdoors (Marin Independent Journal)
- 11 photos from around the world show how students can return to school during the pandemic (Business Insider)
- COVID-19 expert praises local elementary school for thinking outside of the box, and classroom (Hawaii)
- Letters to the Editor: This is California. Let’s have school in outdoor classrooms (LA Times)
- A Growing Push To Conduct Outdoor Learning This School Year Has Historical Precedent (Gothamist)
- This Montgomery County private school will start fall semester in-person with outdoor classrooms (Maryland/DC)
- Outdoor classes, staggered recess: Massachusetts education officials offer glimpse into how schools will look upon reopening this fall (MassLive)
- Why One School Is Turning To Outdoor Classrooms Amid Coronavirus (Illinois)
- Inside the quest to reopen schools—by moving classes outside (Fast Company)
- Alex Porpora: Use the outdoors to revive education (Salt Lake Tribune)
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COVID-19 drives many Vermont outdoor learning classes into virtual realms (Burlington Free Press)
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Why Can’t We Just Have Class Outside? (The Atlantic)
- Brevard Parents Raise Money For Outdoor Classrooms (Brevard Times)
- The Push to Move Classrooms Outdoors Is Gaining Momentum (NY Mag)
- Some Philly schools want to use outdoor classrooms when IRL lessons resume (WHYY)
- Eckerd College moving classes outdoors to help protect against the spread of COVID-19 (Florida)
- Education experts call for outdoor classes to increase student safety amid COVID-19 pandemic (CBC News)
- Outdoor classrooms could help solve the school reopening dilemma (Wisconsin Examiner)
- Reopening school in the great outdoors as a coronavirus response (Tampa Bay Times)
- Outdoor classrooms give students options at Suntree Elementary (Viera Voice)
- NMSU makes changes inside and outside of the classroom to prepare for fall semester (Las Cruces Sun News)
- Can Outdoor Classrooms Solve School Reopening Problems? (Vermont)
- Maine private school will be using outdoor classrooms to teach students this year (Maine)
- Outdoor desks replace indoor classes as way of dealing with COVID-19 in schools (California)
- Ivy Academy Chattanooga Has Outdoor Learning In The Year Of COVID-19 (The Chattanoogan)
- Hamilton County PTA groups create outdoor classrooms for students to take 'mask breaks' (Georgia)
- Schools seeking alternative to remote learning try an experiment: Outdoor classrooms (NBC News)
- Foss: We Should Consider Outdoor Classrooms (Daily Gazette)
- Charleston Montessori School switching to outdoor classrooms (West Virginia)
- North Rowan Elementary adds outdoor classroom space as schools cope with COVID-19 (North Carolina)
- Schools mull outdoor classes amid virus, ventilation worries (AP News)
- As Maine Schools Plan To Reopen, Some Are Thinking Outside The Box — And Outside In General (Maine Public Radio)
- Pasco School Getting Creative With Social Distancing Measures (Florida)
- Linden Waldorf School constructs outdoor classrooms amid the pandemic (Tennessee)
- Pasco Co. students build picnic tables to help with social distancing (Florida)
- Private school in metro Detroit planning outdoor, camp-like model for fall (Michigan)