CURRICULUM FOR THE OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE

Since 1981, the North Lakeland School District has demonstrated a commitment to providing students with direct and meaningful experiences in nature through the Outdoor Education Program. Outdoor experiential education has been recognized in recent years as contributing to student academic achievement, emotional and social growth and physical fitness. Though the program has seen many changes throughout the years, it has consistently been one of the highlights of students’ years at North Lakeland.

Six school days are set aside each year for North Lakeland students' outdoor education to participate in a curriculum developed for these outdoor experiences. The fifth through eighth-grade students have the opportunity to overnight at camp throughout their outdoor education years. A standards-based curriculum is used for primary including a focus on pioneers, miners, voyageurs, and lumberjacks, along with the application of academics to real-life outdoor experiences.  The middle school curriculum focuses on survival skills, basic canoeing, tenting, and outdoor cooking and typically culminates with two 8th grade adventure trips — a backpacking trip in the fall and a canoe trip in the spring.

2024-2025 OUTDOOR EDUCATION SESSIONS

• September 26 & 27, 2024:  Fall Outdoor Education
• February 27 & 28, 2025:  Winter Outdoor Education
• May 22 & 23, 2025: Spring Outdoor Education