EDOUT: One Day a Week for Transformative Learning!
Spending one day a week learning outside the classroom could lead to powerful, positive changes in how students learn, how they interact with the world, and how they develop both academically and personally. It’s about creating an experience that reshapes the way education impacts them, making it more engaging, holistic, and real-world connected.
You’re absolutely right—this approach to learning isn’t new, and it certainly isn’t rocket science. It’s common sense. For centuries, people have learned from the natural world, and yet, in recent decades, we’ve moved away from this approach in favour of more traditional, classroom-based methods and it continues. But what if we returned to something that works so naturally with how humans learn? It worked for me!!
Picture this: One day a week, students head outside to learn in the open air. It’s not some revolutionary, untested experiment—it’s simply bringing learning back to its roots. There’s nothing complicated about it. In fact, the benefits are clear and widely supported by research. We already know that nature stimulates the senses—sight, smell, touch—allowing children to connect with what they are studying on a deeper, more intuitive level. Whether it’s using trees to teach geometry or the outdoors as a backdrop for writing creative stories, the learning experience is enhanced by the world around them.
This approach doesn’t require radical new methods, just a shift in thinking. It’s about recognising that students don’t need to be in a classroom to learn effectively. They don’t need to sit behind desks to engage with math, science, art, or literature. We all know that children learn best when they are active, engaged, and curious—and there’s no better way to achieve that than by getting them outdoors.
The beauty of this idea is its simplicity. It doesn’t take a huge investment in new resources, just a bit of creativity and willingness to embrace what we already know: the outdoors offers a natural, dynamic learning environment. Teachers don’t need to be outdoor experts, just passionate educators who are willing to step outside the classroom and tap into the world around them. And the benefits? They speak for themselves. By stepping outdoors, students will experience reduced stress, increased focus, improved health, and enhanced teamwork skills. They’ll connect to the material they’re learning in a way that’s real and meaningful.
So why isn’t this happening more often? It’s not because it’s unproven or difficult—it’s because of barriers like rigid curriculums, time constraints, and traditional expectations of how education should look. But this is exactly why it’s so important to push forward. This is common sense, proven by research, and it’s something that would enrich the lives of students everywhere.
It’s time to bring this simple, natural solution into the spotlight. Just one day a week, one day outside, is all it takes to make a world of difference for students. Let’s stop overcomplicating things and give children the chance to learn the way we all should—by engaging with the world around us. It’s not rocket science, it’s just the kind of education we all deserve.
Nikki’s mission!