Outdoor Classroom Steps 13-15

If your construction is completed and ready for certification…
follow the steps below and click on the links for more details.
 Step 13: INTEGRATE THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM INTO YOUR CURRICULUM
Drawing the connection between your school’s outdoor classroom and your school’s curriculum will help ensure that the time and money your school invested in developing the outdoor classroom was worthwhile. It is more important for teachers to know how to teach a lesson outdoors using the natural environment than to have a fully outfitted outdoor classroom that teachers do not feel comfortable using.
Free Hands-on Activities   |   OC Field Journal Activities   |   Themed OC Activities

 Step 14: ESTABLISH A MAINTENANCE PLAN
Developing and using an outdoor classroom can be fun, but don’t forget to establish a maintenance plan for your outdoor classroom learning stations. Routine maintenance is an extremely important step in sustaining your project for years to come.  Many times a properly maintained outdoor classroom facility will inspire more wildlife visitors, more community support, and more use by the faculty.
Seasonal OC Maintenance Checklists  |   Outdoor Learning Station Maintenance Checklists

 Step 15: CERTIFY YOUR OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
Now that you have completed at least Phase I of your outdoor classroom, and you are using it as a wildlife habitat and education tool for your students, it is time to certify your outdoor classroom! The AWF Outdoor Classroom Consultant will meet with you once you are ready to start the certification process, which includes submitting a certification application, conducting an on-site review with the OC Consultant, and holding a Certification Ceremony or Photo-Op to celebrate your accomplishments.
Outdoor Classroom Certification   |   *OC Schools & Partners Map
*Note:  If you have not updated your school’s outdoor classroom info on our OC Schools & Partners Map, then you should update the info using your school’s code or contact the AWF to get a new code.

 KEYS TO SUCCESS AFTER CERTIFICATION
If you have completed all of the steps to certification, you will have done a great deal of work to create an outdoor classroom that will be used as an effective teaching tool for many generations to come. As students, parents, teachers and administrators come and go each year, your school will change and so will your outdoor classroom. However, as your outdoor classroom transforms, it can also become a staple of your school’s campus and an indispensable education tool for teachers and students alike.
Free Hands-on Activities   |   Educator Workshops   |   OC Maintenance Checklists   |   *Outdoor Classroom Days
*Note:  If you need technical and organizational assistance with your OC Work Day, contact the AWF to set up a meeting with your local AWF Outdoor Classroom Consultant.

Questions?  Contact April Waltz, Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program Coordinator, at 256.882.9183 or aprilwaltz@alabamawildlife.org.  .