In partnership with our partners Take Me Outside and Green Teacher we want to share our Top 5 ways to celebrate ‘Global Classrooms Day’ this November 3rd!
1. Access Excellent Outdoor Learning Resources & Equipment, with all proceeds going back to non-profit outdoor learning initiatives
The purpose of The Outdoor Learning Store is to provide easy access to excellent outdoor learning equipment and resources to schools and organizations. This initiative is run as a social enterprise which allows us to provide a return for outdoor learning non-profit organizations from across the country, and beyond. We welcome your feedback and ideas for potential products, and we thank you for your support of this growing social enterprise.
Outdoor learning is being increasingly adopted to enhance student learning, and to support the physical, emotional and mental health of teachers and students. We’re pleased to provide a variety of tools that can support educators & learners in this way, while also helping to address other key social and environmental issues such as the climate crisis, the rapid loss of biodiversity, nature-deficit disorder, and the obesity epidemic.
2. Register for the Take Me Outside for Learning School Year Challenge
BECAUSE NOT ALL CLASSROOMS HAVE FOUR WALLS!
The 4th annual Take Me Outside for Learning Challenge has begun! Registrations close soon – Nov 4th, 2022.
Participating educators are making a commitment to outdoor learning with their students – at least once a week until June with support from us and a growing community of educators doing the same across North America.
The Learning Challenge is designed to be simple and fun with tangible tools to help achieve success. The goal is to foster a community of peer support where educators from all walks of life and education systems (from public schools to child care centres to post secondary programs) can share ideas, lessons, and stories. You will have opportunities for networking and community building with educators across North America, access to a curated resource list for outdoor learning, a monthly newsletter, professional development opportunities, a Certification of Participation, as well as an opportunity to win prizes for your class.
The classes really enjoyed taking a break from the classroom, just being in the fresh air and around nature took off stress of regular in the classroom work.
From an educator participating in Take Me Outside Day
3. Register for upcoming Outdoor Learning Workshops
Registration is always FREE for these virtual workshops and there will be plenty of draw prizes for attendees! All registrants will receive a discount code to access outdoor learning resources when they register. Workshops are a short and sweet 60 minutes and take place at 4pm Pacific / 7pm Eastern. For those who can’t attend live these will each be recorded and posted on our Recordings Page (just make sure you register to get easy access to the link!) Following the workshop, participants will receive a link through which they can access a certificate of attendance.
4. Listen in to the ‘Earthy Chats’ Podcast
We’re incredibly proud of our podcast (access wherever you get your podcasts!) hosted by our Outreach Manager Jade and Ian from Green Teacher. Join us for wide-ranging chats with environmental educators about best practices, changing trends, and new insights about the outdoor and environmental learning field. These episodes dive into Indigenous learning and connect you with the voices of the authors or creators of some of the best outdoor learning resources. Subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts by November 30th and go in the draw to win a $50 Gift Card to the Outdoor Learning Store. Just send us a screenshot of your registration to outreach@outdoorlearning.com or tag us on Facebook @outdoorlearningstore
5. Listen in to the ‘Talking with Green Teachers’ Podcast
Love podcasts? Us too! Here’s another offering to inspire your practice and enjoy on a cozy Fall day, either out walking or snuggling inside in the warm. Talking with Green Teachers features discussions with environmental educators from around the globe. In each episode, we hear the human side of EE, while discussing some of the big questions facing this diverse branch of education.
Time and again, we see students who struggle with indoor classrooms come alive when learning shifts to the outdoors. This speaks to the value of outdoor learning as a means of making the learning experience more equitable.
Ian Shanahan – Editor of Green Teacher
Here is a summary picture from Outdoor Educator Court Rustemeyer – participating in Take Me Outside Day 2022 (October 17th). If this doesn’t summarise the benefits of outdoor classrooms we don’t what will. How you will celebrate Global Outdoor Classroom Day? Tag us with your pictures if you get outside 🙂