(Student-Centered Approaches: Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Cultural Connections, and Environmental Justice in the Outdoors)
Focus Areas:
Creating Traditions and Lasting Change
Designing Lessons with A.B.I.D.E. (Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity)
Student & Teacher Growth: Academic, Emotional, and Physical Development
Amplifying Student Voice
Cultural Connections
Looking Ahead: Designing Outdoor Spaces
Creating Traditions and Lasting Change
Outdoor learning becomes sustainable when schools and communities work together to support and maintain it. Building a strong support system early on—one that includes teachers, administrators, students, maintenance staff, and families—ensures long-term success.
Here are ways to establish outdoor learning traditions:
-Partner older and younger students in a buddy system to mentor and engage in outdoor activities together.
-Introduce outdoor learning into after-school programs as a way to demonstrate its impact.
-Organize environmental clean-ups and outdoor service projects.
-Plan school-wide events, such as nature exploration days or outdoor cultural celebrations.
-Start a recycling campaign or sustainability initiative that engages students.
Creating these traditions fosters a culture where outdoor learning is embraced, encouraged, and integrated into daily school life.
Designing Lessons with A.B.I.D.E.
Equity and inclusion should be at the heart of outdoor learning. Here are ways to design lessons that promote Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (A.B.I.D.E.):
-Student-Designed Lessons: Have students create lessons that consider their peers’ accessibility needs—e.g., redesigning a playground to be more inclusive such as lowering handle bars or widening swings, adding ramps and taking out stairs, adding braille text, different languages, wider paths for safe walking
–Multi sensory Learning: Encourage group reading, storytelling, and nature journaling to engage different learning styles.
-STEAM Projects: Hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities promote teamwork and engagement.
-Exploration-Based Activities: Organize team challenges that encourage outdoor discovery.
-Self-Expression in Nature: Use outdoor materials (leaves, sticks, rocks) for art projects, poetry, and storytelling.
Challenges & Solutions
Teachers in the Outdoor Educator Leadership Program noted common challenges in making outdoor learning equitable:
Make use of existing level surfaces to accommodate students with diverse physical abilities.
–Language barriers – Incorporate multilingual resources and allow students to share lessons in their home languages.
-Lack of supplies – Encourage resourcefulness by using natural materials and involving the community in gathering needed items.
-Students feeling excluded – Plan lessons with choice and flexibility to ensure all students can participate in a way that suits them.
-Scalability – Work with school districts to expand outdoor learning beyond individual classrooms.
-Different ways of learning – Ensure that lessons have adaptations to address different learning styles and abilities.
TOTAL NM is committed to addressing these challenges and supporting teachers in creating truly inclusive outdoor learning experiences.
What Changes Are We Seeing?
Student & Teacher Growth: Academic, Emotional, and Physical Development
Teachers and students are becoming more confident and engaged in outdoor spaces!
Students are:
- Showing deeper engagement and understanding of concepts.
- Feeling more confident, creative, and enthusiastic about learning.
- Experiencing less stress and more movement.
- Connecting abstract ideas to real-world, tangible experiences.
Teachers are:
- Improving lesson planning for outdoor spaces.
- Becoming more confident in leading lessons outside.
- Strengthening their ability to create safe and engaging outdoor learning environments.
These benefits will continue to grow as outdoor learning becomes a regular part of school life!
Amplifying Student Voice
Students are excited about outdoor learning! Here’s what they are saying:
“I want to go outside more!”
“I never noticed how beautiful our school is.”
“I feel more connected and motivated to learn!”
“Outdoor learning is just like recess but better!”
“I see the same plants at school and at home!”
When students express their enthusiasm, schools should listen and respond by incorporating more outdoor learning opportunities into the curriculum.
Cultural Connections
Outdoor learning provides a unique opportunity to celebrate and integrate culture into education—especially in a place as diverse as New Mexico. Teachers have observed that:
-Students naturally bring in cultural connections—family stories, traditions, and personal experiences.
-Students express their heritage through art and journaling.
–Multilingual learning is emerging in outdoor spaces, with students using their home languages.
-Traditional ecological knowledge is shared, strengthening students’ connection to the land.
Tip: Invite local Indigenous communities to share their knowledge of plants, history, and environmental stewardship.
Sitting and standing areas in shaded places to support student needs in learning outdoors. Students at Belen Middle School- Part of the Outdoor Educator Leadership Program
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