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With the loss of funding for Outdoor School in three Mid-county school districts, parents are working tirelessly to see kids don't miss it this spring
HEATHER HILL
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO
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| Proponents argue students attending Outdoor School retain the science taught better than those taught only in the classroom. Students also participate in community-building exercises, teamwork being a vital survival tactic in an environment bereft of modern conveniences. Getting hands-on experience are, from left, a student leader, next to him is Outdoor School attendees Jeffrey Stewart, Josh Livingston and Shabar Johnson (back to camera). |
Yet while nature is free, experiencing it through Outdoor School comes at a price: approximately $25,000 to support one sixth-grade class per one-night, two-day session. Because of budget shortfalls, three districts, all residing in Mid-county: Parkrose, Reynolds and Centennial - were not able to fund participation in the week-long Outdoor School experience this year.
In either the fall or spring of their sixth grade year, approximately 7,000 regional school children journey from their classrooms to local youth camps, where they attend one week of Multnomah Education Service District's Outdoor School program, assisted by trained staff and accompanied by 1,600 high school student counselors.
Proponents of Outdoor School claim it vests children with a sense of place and a responsibility over its future while simultaneously fulfilling 14 science standards and 40 standards in math, language, social science, arts, PE and health. All this is accomplished within a context that marries with the child's memories of the event, not easily forgotten after the last test closes the lesson.
MESD assists local school districts by providing a variety of services, many focused on special needs or family/community-based services. Each school district contracts services with MESD using a combination of its own funds and money allocated from the state education budget for that purpose. In leaner years, schools face tough decisions on which services most necessitate funding, and this year Outdoor School suffered the ax. However, while the school board acts as the executive branch of the school system, the school community extends to every household on the bus route and beyond. Parents, and the community at large, have the force in numbers to provide for children what the school board budget may not.
In operation since 1966, Outdoor School starts at 7 a.m. each day and ends at 9 p.m. Students spend at least six hours of this time instructively exploring their class's study plot, several acres consisting of a stream or lake, varieties of plant life, and an assortment of birds and animals. Outdoor School also integrates the social lessons of camp life into its curriculum. Not only is this done through the participation of student counselors, but it also includes rotating camp maintenance duties, taking part in outdoor recreational activities, organizing group meals and participating in the evening campfire sing-alongs. Students are broken up into living groups of eight or 10 children representing four or five schools, which further displaces the children from their known environment. This aligns the concept of learning how to work with people of different backgrounds with that of understanding one's environment, respecting everyone's right to exist, and learning how to live in harmony with one another.
Dedicated groups of parents in Parkrose and Reynolds school districts have banded together to preserve the Outdoor School experience for their kids, organizing fundraising events that have, at the time of this writing, accrued $14,961.95 in Parkrose alone. Yet this remains a far cry from the $77,000 needed to send Parkrose's 242 students to one week of Outdoor School this spring. Reynolds, a larger district, will require $240,000 to save the week-long program. In response, schools have adjusted their expectations, with Parkrose aiming at a two-day, one-night experience (for which it is still $10,000 short), and Reynolds focusing on a three-day, two-night experience that requires $92,000 to fund. MESD is working with the districts to abridge the program.
In addition, MESD and the districts have sought other resources to help. Parkrose has applied for two grants. One, from the Captain Planet Foundation, which supports hands-on environmental projects for youth, has yet to respond. The other, from the Gray Family Fund Environmental Education Program - which encourages sustainability and local land stewardship through grants up to $700,000 to Oregon schools, government agencies and nonprofits - will only benefit students of next year's class, should the budget strains continue.
MESD itself has developed a partnership with Portland's Metro Council to reimburse schools for one day of Outdoor School instruction (this year, $57 per student). Since spring 2009, Metro has contracted with approved outdoor immersion programs to provide one day (6.5 hours) of waste reduction education for sixth-grade students paid through an increase in the regional solid waste tipping fee. According to its Web site, Metro believes that “enhancing the waste reduction education these students receive in an on-site, hands-on environment strengthens the lessons being taught, helping to increase behaviors related to environmental sustainability.”
As municipal governments and agencies have fallen short this year, parents' grassroots efforts have carried the flag, staging raffles and concession stands at sporting events, teaming up with local businesses to help drum up support through the use of Papa Murphy's pizza cards, placing donation jars on counters around the community and organizing upcoming fundraising events.
For example, the Original Taco House donated 50 percent of all food, beverages and gift card purchases to Outdoor School one night in March. Parents and friends raised $345. The next “Family and Friends Night” event is Tuesday, April 13 at the Mall 205 McMenamins, 9710 S.E. Washington St. From 5 p.m. to close, McMenamins will donate 50 percent of all proceeds from that night. On Thursday, April 16 the Reynolds Outdoor School program will receive one-third of all McMenamins sales, including take-out orders from 5 to 11 p.m.
The Reynolds website says they have successfully raised the $42,000 needed to send students on the overnight program though they are shooting for the $57,500 required to send kids on the two-night, three-day program.
“As a middle school we are very fortunate to have these committed parents,” Parkrose Middle School Principal Molly Davies said. “The Outdoor School experience helps develop skills and will have a positive impact on our students' lives that will be with them for a lifetime. Without this grassroots effort, Outdoor School would not even be a possibility this year.”
Andrea Watson, communications coordinator for Reynolds School District, said, “The Reynolds School Board was pleased to endorse the fundraising efforts for the sixth-graders to attend Outdoor School. Individual board members have pledged financial support and applaud the efforts of Michelle Stein and Cliff Hirsch, the parents spearheading the fundraising and grant-proposal writing activities.”
The director of Outdoor School for MESD, Dan Prince, noted that MESD has supported the parents' efforts by creating a spring schedule that gives the parent groups as much time as possible to raise the money. “The parent groups have been creative, tireless and committed to helping kids participate in this valuable program.”
Both districts' committees welcome any and all donations that will help make this experience possible for all. To get involved or donate, drop money in the jars at neighborhood businesses, or attend one of the listed events.
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