: Outdoor School :

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At night, students and teachers sleep comfortably and safely in one of our three cabins.

Glen Helen Outdoor School is a residential environmental education program for elementary school children, grades 4-6. Students and their teachers come to the Glen for a 2.5-day or 4-day experience, where they are immersed in the natural world, exploring, investigating, and discovering the wonders of nature. The science-based curriculum is aligned with Ohio Academic Content Standards to support and complement teacher classroom instruction. Social Studies, Math, and Language Arts learning objectives are also included during the experience.

Each day, trail groups venture into the 1,000 acre outdoor classroom with their Naturalist-teachers for biotic explorations, where students learn about the environment, and about how to protect it, through hands-on teaching methods and authentic experiences. Students search for macroinvertebrates in the streams to determine water health, they explore native ecosystems to connect with their natural environment, and they work together to meet wasted food goals in the dining hall to learn about the importance of conservation. Our emphasis on cooperation and teamwork also transfers back to the classroom, as students leave the Glen more tolerant and trusting of their classmates, and more willing to work together.

Before schools arrive at the Glen, we work closely with teachers to design a program that is appropriate for their particular group of students. We also work to ensure classroom learning objectives are central to the experience provided at the Glen. Naturalist-teachers facilitate instruction with the students out on the trails, while teachers provide behavior management support, and supervising students during dorm time.

: See what school personnel and students have to say about our Outdoor School program :

: Meet the Outdoor Education Center staff :

INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS

INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS & SCHOOLS

REGISTRATION

If you are interested in registering your school for the Outdoor School Program schoolyear, please contact:

Amy Tressler, Outdoor Education Center Director
937-767-7648 or 1-800-538-4893
atressler@glenhelen.org