Outdoor School

Our Outdoor School program engages 4th - 7th grade students in hands-on environmental education, intentional social emotional learning, and fosters a relationship with nature. 

 Each day of our residential program, small student groups adventure into the 1000+ acre nature preserve classroom led by our dedicated Naturalist Teachers. They explore, investigate, and learn about the environment and how to protect it. Their hands-on science learning is aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standard to complement classroom learning. 

Through Outdoor School, Glen Helen and school partner staff, and youth participants form an intentional, enthusiastic learning community, fostering relationships and connections that reach well beyond the duration of our program. 

Outdoor School Options
(scholarships available):

3-day, 2-night Outdoor School
$145/student

Includes: 4 structured lesson hikes, 2 evening programs including a night hike, afternoon recreational activities, all meals, and lodging

​4-Day, 3-Night Outdoor School
$165/student

Includes: 6 structured lesson hikes, 3 evening programs including a night hike, afternoon recreational activities, all meals, and lodging

Lesson Hike Offerings:

Beaver Ecology

Students explore relationships between different animals within the Glen’s ecosystem, as well as explore the beaver dam and learn all about the beaver’s adaptations.

Birds

Students will learn about what makes a bird a bird, their roles and niches within an ecosystem, and their adaptations. This lesson also includes a visit to the Raptor Center.

Cooperative Learning

Students are presented with a series of challenges, which encourage cooperation and teamwork, develop trust and self-confidence, and grow as a school community.

Environmental Problem Solving

Students learn about human impacts, hypothesize solutions, and sharpen critical thinking skills as they focus on invasive species within an ecosystem.

Forest Ecology

Students explore a mature eastern deciduous forest, find the parts of the food web within it, and discover the relationships between these parts that make it a functioning ecosystem.

Geology

Students explore geologic features found throughout the Glen, learn about and identify different rock types, and how glaciers shaped our landscape.

Meadow, Thicket, Forest

Students visit ecosystems that represent three successional stages: a meadow, a thicket, and a forest. Students learn about succession, explore these diverse habitats, and visit a vernal pool.

Stream Investigation

Students conduct a scientific experiment to determine the health of a local stream. Equipped with nets and buckets, students search the waters for macroinvertebrates and collect data on physical and chemical properties. (Available April - October)

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