Maine schools are creating meaningful, empowering outdoor learning experiences, whether the adventure into nature is big or small. Across the state, students and their teachers are tapping maple trees, exploring trails, cultivating school gardens and aquaculture lines, observing animal signs in the snow, and so much more.
In celebration of National Environmental Education Week from April 20-24, 2026, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will feature some of these local outdoor education stories on its social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) and in the Maine DOE Newsroom.
Outdoor learning is a crucial component of every student’s educational experience. It not only allows kids to build a lasting relationship with nature but also benefits students’ social-emotional and academic capacities. Research indicates that reported benefits of learning in natural outdoor settings include increased student engagement, academic improvement, and development of social and collaborative skills.
Throughout the last several years, the Maine DOE has worked to advance outdoor and environmental education through a wide range of programs including the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative (MOLI), funded by the American Rescue Plan Act’s Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund from the U.S. Department of Education (ED); Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV), funded by the ED Rethink K-12 Education Models grant; and the Climate Education Professional Development Grant Pilot Program.
The Maine DOE continues to champion outdoor and environmental education and the powerful impact it can have on students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and academic learning. Stay tuned to learn more about the innovative outdoor learning happening across Maine!
For further questions about outdoor learning initiatives, please contact Maine DOE Climate Education Specialist Teddy Lyman at theodore.lyman@maine.gov.
