Research shows that when kids get outdoors, their learning expands—and their health and happiness improve.
While schools know that outdoor learning is important, most lack the natural landscapes necessary to make it part of their daily experiences. Even with abundant outdoor spaces, many schools struggle to weave outdoor learning into their curriculum in meaningful, comprehensive ways. At Brookwood, outdoor learning is a core component of our curriculum, and has been from day one.
Launching Brookwood’s
Forest School
"Outdoor learning is not a nice-to-have at Brookwood, it’s a given."
Objective
The primary objective of Brookwood’s outdoor learning and Forest School is to foster a deep and lasting connection between students and the natural world and each other, instilling a sense of environmental responsibility, resilience, collaboration, and belonging. To achieve this, we aim to enhance and expand our existing program by implementing a series of innovative initiatives. Our goal is to create a dynamic, nature-focused educational environment that encompasses a wide range of age groups, from Early Childhood to Upper School students and the broader community. Thanks to a generous group of donors, we will not only expand our curriculum and programming but also revitalize Brookwood’s former ropes course as a Forest School.
Timeline
- May 2023 - Our community raised over $100,000 for the development of a Forest School
- June – July 2023 - Brookwood enlists the help of professionals in wetland preservation and construction in order to plan out the scope of the physical space of the Forest School
- August 2023 - Field study conducted in Scandinavia to plan and shape Brookwood’s Forest School after original Forest School concepts
- September 2023 - Brookwood’s Amory Parker Co-Chairs share that the professional development focus for the next two years will be “Our Campus, Our Classroom.”
- October 2023 - The Forest School Design Team was formed, and is comprised of faculty, staff, and leadership team members
- Winter 2024 - The Forest School Design Team will enter the research and development phase of the project.
- Winter 2024 - Once the ground is frozen, we will disassemble the ropes course structures.
- Spring 2024 - The Forest School Design Team will unveil the comprehensive plan to the community.
- Spring 2024 - We will clear and develop the physical space of the Forest School.
- Fall 2024 - Brookwood’s Forest School will be operational
History
At Brookwood, outdoor learning is a core component of our curriculum, and has been from day one. Research shows that when kids get outdoors, their learning expands—and their health and happiness improve. Most schools lack the natural landscapes necessary to make outdoor learning part of their daily experiences.
Even with abundant outdoor spaces, many schools struggle to weave it into their curriculum in meaningful, comprehensive ways. Our students hike to vernal ponds to study spotted salamanders, harvest milkweed for butterflies, and maintain nature trails, and have even donned beekeeping suits to tend honeycombs,—all without leaving our 30-acre-campus.
