Outdoor School - Multnomah Education Service District
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Howard - Facilities


MESD Outdoor School > History > Retired Sites > Howard > Facilities

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Howard
Location & Directions
Facilities
Science & Nature
Land & History
Meet the Staff
dining hall interior with long cafeteria-style tables
DINING HALL​
​
​The dining hall at Howard is centrally located, with the cabin areas close by. The core of the site is moderately flat. Unpaved logging roads access most field study areas. 

Students, high school Student Leaders, Staff, and Teachers eat family style in the spacious dining hall. Hot, varied, and nutritious meals are prepared by our professional kitchen staff, and students are assigned to help set the tables, deliver and serve the food during the meal, and clean up after the meal on a rotating basis.

The dining hall serves as a central hub of activity throughout the day. Students participate in a ceremonial raising and lowering of the flag each morning and evening, and evening campfire programs are held in a community building near the dining hall in case of inclement weather.
dining hall exterior
kitchen window

cabin
bunk beds
cabin area
cabin area
restroom exterior
sinks
single-occupancy restroom stalls in dining hall
toilet stall
toilet stalls and showers with privacy curtains
shower with privacy curtain
CABINS AND RESTROOMS

There are four separate cabin areas at Howard, consisting of six cabins each. Each heated cabin serves 6-10 students (a few from each class) and 1-3 high school Student Leaders. Cabins are supervised by staff members. All participants sleep on bunk beds with mattresses. Students should bring a sleeping bag (or blankets) and pillow for their stay.

The restrooms in the cabin areas are centrally located, and contain private stalls for toilets and showers. In addition to the cabin area restrooms and shower houses, Howard features a restroom / shower house building near the dining hall, and an additional one near the outdoor campfire space, as well as a restroom inside the nurse's station.

Private bathroom / shower located in nurse's office. Students will be informed of this option in a small group setting, either when the class comes up to nurse's station on Sunday or in Cabin Groups. This allows students to see where the bathroom is and how to access it. Additional single-stall restrooms are located inside the dining hall.

​Private changing area in cabin areas will be the bath / shower house, as is current usage. In each cabin area there are single occupancy bathrooms that allow for student choice and privacy.

​



OUTDOOR SCHOOL NURSE

There is a registered nurse on site 24 hours a day while your student is at Outdoor School. The nurse takes care of injuries and illnesses as they arise, and also has commonly-forgotten items (like sleeping bags, jackets, and toothbrushes) available to lend. The nurse is available to discreetly clean soiled sleeping bags as needed throughout the week. If you have specific health care or dietary concerns, please contact the Outdoor School Program Nurse, Peggy Sedlak: [email protected]

OTHER FEATURES

Weather permitting, the entire Howard Outdoor School community gathers each evening for a campfire program at the outdoor campfire facility. The Howard campfire space features stunning views of Mt. Hood and the Mt. Hood National Forest surrounding the Bull Run reservoir. Students perform skits and enjoy songs, and it is many students' favorite part of Outdoor School. During inclement weather, campfire programs take place in a community building across from the dining hall.

Each afternoon, students participate in recreation, consisting of games, hikes, arts & crafts, archery, or other non-academic activities. These activities are led by staff members or classroom teachers and consist of a mixture of students  from each participating class.

​Field study, the "school" part of Outdoor School, takes place throughout the site, and takes advantage of our incredible local nature. The Howard site is located in the Bull Run watershed, and features lush forests and incredible views. Photos of the natural areas and some of the equipment and specimens used on field study can be found arranged by field study on the Science & Nature page.
view of Mt. Hood from the outdoor campfire
outdoor campfire overlooking bluff
view of campfire seating from the stage
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ODS since 1966
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11611 NE Ainsworth Circle, Portland OR 97220
phone: (503) 257-1600 fax: (503) 257-1592
​[email protected]
© COPYRIGHT 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
  • About
    • Mission
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Session Calendar
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Merchandise
    • Partners
    • Contact
  • Programs
    • Program Tour
    • Field Study Tour >
      • Animals Field Study Tour
      • Plants Field Study Tour
      • Soil Field Study Tour
      • Water Field Study Tour
      • Academic Program Elements
  • Sites
    • Angelos / Sandy River >
      • ASR Location & Directions
      • ASR Facilities
      • ASR Science & Nature
      • ASR Land & History
      • ASR Meet the Staff
    • Collins >
      • CL Location & Directions
      • CL Facilities
      • CL Science & Nature
      • CL Land & History
      • CL Meet the Staff
    • Kuratli / Trestle Glen >
      • KR Location & Directions
      • KR Facilities
      • KR Science & Nature
      • KR Land & History
      • KR Meet the Staff
    • Namanu >
      • NM Location & Directions
      • NM Facilities
      • NM Science & Nature
      • NM Land & History
      • NM Meet the Staff
    • Westwind >
      • WW Location & Directions
      • WW Facilities
      • WW Science & Nature
      • WW Land & History
      • WW Meet the Staff
  • History
    • History by Decade >
      • The 1960s
      • The 1970s
      • The 1980s
      • The 1990s
      • The 2000s
      • The 2010s
      • The 2020s
    • Retired Sites >
      • Adams / Milk Creek
      • Adams / Nate Creek
      • Arrah Wanna >
        • AW Location & Directions
        • AW Facilities
        • AW Science & Nature
        • AW Land & History
        • AW Meet the Staff
      • Canby Grove >
        • CG Location & Directions
        • CG Facilities
        • CG Science & Nature
        • CG Land & History
        • CG Meet the Staff
      • Cascade >
        • CAS Location & Directions
        • CAS Facilities
        • CAS Science & Nature
        • CAS Land & History
        • CAS Meet the Staff
      • Colton
      • Crestview
      • Eagle Fern
      • Howard >
        • HO Location & Directions
        • HO Facilities
        • HO Science & Nature
        • HO Land & History
        • HO Meet the Staff
      • Kiwanis >
        • KW Location & Directions
        • KW Facilities
        • KW Land & History
        • KW Staff
      • Scouter's Mountain
      • Sports Acres
      • Trout Creek
      • Yamhill
    • Outdoor School Staff Photos
  • For Parents
    • Frequently Asked Questions >
      • English
      • Español
      • русски
      • tiếng Việt
    • Sample Daily Schedule
    • Sample Menu
    • Students with Specific Needs
    • Parents of Student Leaders
    • Session Calendar
  • For Student Leaders
    • Criteria for Participation
    • SL Workshop Training
    • Register for Workshop
    • Makeup Workshop
    • Student Leader Recruiters
    • Student Leader Calendar
    • Bus Schedules
    • Forms for Student Leaders
    • Parents of Student Leaders
    • 10 Reasons to Participate
    • Handbook, Songbook, & Skits >
      • Beginner Handbook
      • Advanced Handbook
      • Outdoor School Songbook
    • SL Sample Weekly Schedule
    • Evaluation Rubric
    • College Credit & Scholarships >
      • PCC College Credit
      • Student Leader Scholarship
    • Social Media
    • Special Needs Volunteers
  • For Staff
    • Trainings & Certifications
    • Incident Reporting
    • Wildlife Handling Guidelines
    • How to Field Instructor
    • How to Program Leader
    • Staff & Field Study Songs
    • Merchandise Payment
    • Staff Calendar
  • MESD