Educators and administrators have an ongoing responsibility to promote opportunities for students and employees to explore, learn and grow through outdoor experiences. This means incorporating Place-based learning experiences, the use of National Standards for Outdoor Learning, and research into outdoor learning contexts.
Using Place-based Learning experiences in outdoor education can enhance the well-being of your students. Place-based education is a way of integrating skills from different disciplines into a learning environment that is both interdisciplinary and community-based. Place-based learning offers students an opportunity to learn about a place, ask questions about it, and create solutions to local issues. Place-based learning experiences in outdoor education are based on the idea that the natural environment has a powerful impact on our lives. It can help us feel more connected to our community and to the world around us. Place-based education can be formal or informal, classroom-based or off-campus, and it can take place in museums, community gardens, or state parks. Place-based education can also be incorporated into early education and can provide students with an opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills. Place-based education can include internships. Internships can be found in most disciplines and can include working at a local business, large corporation, or non-profit organization. Internships can also be part of a degree program. Whether you're looking for a full-time career or a part-time job, there are many opportunities for agency in outdoor education. This could include leading educational canoe trips in swamp forests, working with native wildlife, or helping with environmental research projects. The best way to find a job in outdoor education is to apply for a position through your local community college, a school, or a state department of natural resources. These opportunities often have internships, full-time and part-time positions, and may include a housing stipend. The best part is that you'll be able to enjoy a plethora of outdoor activities in return. Some jobs involve working with various wildlife, facilitating team-building activities, leading educational canoe trips, and assisting with environmental research projects. For instance, at the Alabama 4-H Science School in Alabama, you'll get an excellent education in the field of environmental education. The school has several campuses in the state. They offer classes on the subjects of horticulture, animal care, and, of course, environmental education. Despite its relative lack of popularity in many countries, outdoor education is an important part of a successful school. It can help strengthen a child's academic performance, improve their health and social development, and help them develop a positive attitude toward learning. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4, "Better Health and Nutrition," is closely tied to outdoor learning. A study by the National Wildlife Federation shows that kids who spend time in nature have better-standardized test scores than kids who play indoors. It also found that students who go outside have better attendance and better behavior. The National Wildlife Federation report is not alone in finding these benefits. Outdoor learning has also been demonstrated to improve student performance in science and math. In addition, learning outdoors can have an effect on pediatric health. While many outdoor learning recommendations focus on the benefits of being outdoors, the scientific quality of these studies is limited. There is a need for more research to better understand the benefits of physical activity in general and outdoor learning in particular. NSLOtC research in outdoor learning contexts has a wide variety of approaches. These include field trips, adventure education, and curricular lessons in the outdoors. They are often delivered with different skill sets and with captive groups. Nature-specific outdoor learning has measurable benefits for students. These include improved social skills, environmental awareness, self-concept, and motivation. These benefits are reported across a range of age groups. However, the mental health benefits of NSLOtC are not well-studied across age groups. There is a need to explore the ways in which nature experiences are delivered. Future research could explore the impact of different environments on learning and how teaching design can impact the learning experience. While nature-based outdoor learning has been investigated in North America, the majority of research has been conducted in the United Kingdom. The most common learning context is adventure education, which is primarily aimed at secondary school students. A recent review of adventure education showed that some well-being benefits were reported. However, there is no long-term follow-up of these studies.
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