Outdoor Education at The Learning Center
The Learning Center has always fully embraced the notion that engaging children with the natural world is an essential component to child development. From outdoor educational programs with specialists to playing in the local park or reading and writing in the library yard, the school seeks to deliver as much high-quality outdoor time as possible.
The Outdoor Classroom
Distinctively designed to fit harmoniously into the wooded ravine adjacent to the school building, this one-of-kind classroom was designed and built by David Yasenchack, a true craftsman in the art of timber framing, using sustainably harvested timber from the school site and surrounding area through a partnership with the Foundation for Sustainable Forests. This project embodies the school’s dedication to sustainability.
Overlooking the ravine to the north of the school, this wooded area provides a beautiful setting for students to learn and grow within. This classroom is seamlessly connected to the natural world not only by the materials it’s made of but through its aesthetic environmentally-sensitive design.
The project is an expansion of the work that has been done to make The Learning Center a model of sustainability education. Integral to our educational program is developing a close relationship to the outdoors. This structure allows us to spend more time outdoors, in order to develop an even closer relationship to the natural environment. Pennsylvania is one of 19 states implementing an Environmental Literacy Plan, with implementation strategies centered on building academic knowledge within the classroom. At LCK8, however, we believe there is no better way to educate students than by emulating Dewey's legacy of 'learning by doing,' exposing our students to real world environmental problems and challenging them to use their agency to find potential solutions.
While the new space gives endless opportunities for classes to pick up and move outside at any moment, our predominant approach to outdoor learning will be through the philosophy of Forest School.
Forest School is a specific process in which children are given the space to engage with the natural world on their own terms. In the words of the UK-based Forest School Association, “Forest School is a child-centered inspirational learning process that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner-inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.” The Forest School approach is a perfect match for The Learning Center’s educational philosophy, where children have the opportunity to shape their own learning.
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Forest School Philosophy
Greeting Grandmother Oak, we step into the hilltop woodland overlooking the gently running stream in the ravine below, as the children once again begin their weekly Forest School session. This is a place we know well, a place we are comfortable in, with people we are comfortable sharing the space with. Here we have shelter, warmth, shade, and above all, space to explore and play. We build community as we share food and chat around the fireside. We acknowledge and assess risk by climbing, crawling, and swinging. We use tools to craft the things we need, and our hands to get dirty as we dig and create. At Forest School we revel in the wonders of the natural world through stories, our imagination, and our friendships, building a deep-seated respect and understanding of the world around us.