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School forest coordinator: outdoor immersion supports academics, mental health and engagement
Summary
Laurie Dans, the district's school forest coordinator, updated the board on site use, learning goals, a new 1+1 program to connect classroom lessons to the outdoor site, transportation and budget pressures, and plans to increase access and partnerships.
Laurie Dans, the district school forest coordinator, presented a 15-minute overview of the school forest program, framing it as “outdoor education” that delivers curriculum in a different setting rather than teaching only environmental topics.
Dans said the forest program emphasizes experiential learning and provides hands-on opportunities across subjects — music, literacy, science and more — and highlighted program activities including orchestra immersion days, writing sessions, amphibian and life-cycle lessons (salamander handling used as a demonstration) and larger annual service projects for ninth graders. She described the program's tangible benefits: increased student engagement, confidence and long-term retention when lessons include an emotional or experiential component.
Dans described a new initiative called “1 plus 1 to connect,” which asks teachers to take one classroom lesson outdoors once a week to build connections between curriculum, environment and students. She said the district has created a Google Classroom resource for teachers and will document lessons so other teachers can adopt them quickly. Dans invited board members to visit the site as chaperones.
On funding and operations, Dans said transportation is the program’s largest expense; she said the program currently receives approximately half of its transportation budget from an external source each year and the district matches the remainder. She said maintenance and materials needs are relatively low but noted one older building at the site will need continued upkeep (she referenced a recent septic repair). Dans said the program uses donated big-ticket items like snowshoes and tries to rely on natural resources when possible; the ninth-grade service project requires substantial coordination and community outreach.
Board members praised the program and asked about funding and ways to leverage the forest as a recruiting asset; district staff said they will examine budget alignment and explore summer programs and partnerships to broaden use of the site.
