School's Out(doors): Place-based Education (PBE) Responds to COVID-19 and Beyond
What do we do when a global pandemic makes it more dangerous for large groups of adults and kids to stay indoors? Place-based education has always been a powerful approach to learning, but now it’s also a powerful answer to COVID-19.
This booklet is designed to be the starting point for anyone getting ready to take the next step toward doing more PBE.
It summarizes main talking points for making the case for PBE and organizes links to current and time-tested research evidence to support those points. It also provides exemplar stories and, importantly, contact information for PBE experts who are willing to help support next action steps for people like you and the people you work with.
Please share the following link with principals, park administrators, educators, community partners, parents, or anyone else looking to dive into PBE:
bit.ly/schoolsoutdoors
This booklet came about as a result of interviews and conversations with dozens of decision makers in schools and national parks connected with the Upper Valley Teaching Place Collaborative and A Park for Every Classroom. When we asked what factors contributed most potently to decisions to do or not do more PBE, these leaders converged on the power of personal conversations. People tend to be convinced by seeing or hearing about real life examples with messages targeted to their particular needs and concerns. That’s why this booklet contains so many contacts for specific PBE experts willing to have those conversations. Please contact them!
The principal of Barnard Academy in Vermont summed up this unique moment where a pandemic and schools collide:
"A silver lining from COVID-19 is that never have I seen education move so quickly in new directions, including interesting uses of technology and a new embracing of the outdoors and other centers of learning that exist in our communities."
If you want to print your own hard copies for distribution in workshops or at conferences, you can do that directly at uprinting.com. Short run booklets will cost around $7 each for 10-100 booklets, and bulk booklets cost between $2 and $4 each, with a minimum run of 250.
This booklet is designed to be customizable. We can help you create a version that includes stories, pictures, and contact information tailored to your school, park, region, program, or other stakeholder audience.