Outdoor School - Multnomah Education Service District
  • 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


Outdoor School Program Tour


MESD Outdoor School > Programs > Outdoor School > Program Tour > A Classroom in the Outdoors

a student hiding in the forest as part of a game

A Classroom in the Outdoors

Outdoor School takes sixth-grade students from the classroom to the outdoors where they can study those things best studied outdoors... plants, animals, soil, and water. Outdoor education can take place in the school yard, vacant lot, or on a field trip, but the greatest gains are made when students can live in the outdoors for an extended period of time, at a resident Outdoor School.

The Environmental Education program offers this Outdoor School opportunity to all sixth grade students in Multnomah county. During the fall and spring of each school year local youth camps are leased to provide comfortable living facilities close to the outdoor laboratory where students can learn firsthand about natural science.
The program serves approximately 7,000 sixth-graders per year. Competent instructional staffs are employed to ensure a rich, 24-hour, living experience where, without interruption, sixth-graders and their teachers can explore forest, streams, and fields. In addition to trained adult staff, approximately 1,600 high school students are selected and trained each year to serve as student counselors with the program.

Outdoor School is an exciting and challenging experience for students. While learning about natural science and conservation, they apply acquired knowledge and skills in mathematics, social studies, language, health, art, and music. They use these skills to investigate, measure, and report discoveries in the natural sciences during the week they share with other sixth grade children at the Outdoor School site. As a result, students learn faster, understand better, and retain information longer.
Study Plots →
← Why Outdoor School?
ODS Logo

About

Mission
Meet Our Staff
Session Calendar
​Employment
Merchandise
Partners
​Contact

PROGRAMS

Outdoor School
4th Grade Overnight
​StarLab

History

ODS since 1966
ODS Staff Photos

Locations

Angelos ODS
Collins ODS
Kuratli ODS
​Namanu ODS
​Westwind ODS

Resources

For Parents
For Teachers
For Student Leaders
For Volunteers
For Staff
MESD Logo
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