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Teachers and students press APS to expand outdoor learning, Bosque programs
Summary
Teachers, students and community members urged the APS Board of Education to expand outdoor, place‑based learning in district schools, citing attendance, engagement and well‑being benefits from Bosque field lessons.
Multiple students and teachers described place‑based outdoor learning programs during public forum at the March 5 APS Board meeting and asked the district to expand access.
Adam Woods, a sixth‑grade science and environmental‑education teacher at Harrison Middle School, said he spends a weekly class period walking students along the Rio Grande Bosque to observe species, monitor biodiversity and track groundwater effects on keystone species like cottonwoods. “I'm having the best year of my career at Harrison this year, and a big part of that is because I get to share this really beautiful space with my students,” Woods said.
Student speakers Vicente Amaya and Elias Benavides described walking in the Bosque, looking for animal tracks and using color‑matching activities to learn about plants. Christina Williams, an Alameda Elementary special education teacher, said outdoor learning improves attendance, academic performance and well‑being and helps students with exceptionalities thrive.
Speakers asked the board to support broader, more consistent outdoor‑learning opportunities districtwide so that families do not leave APS for charter or private schools that already emphasize outdoor education.
Board response: The board heard the testimony during public forum; no formal action or funding decision was taken at the March 5 meeting.
