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Outdoor Education Program

Bringing students outside to learn in South Canton Scholars' outdoor classroom provides students with an exciting place to learn. Students can connect with what they are learning in different ways by exploring with their hands and trying out real experiments. This also makes their critical thinking skills stronger and gives more understanding to what they learn in class and how it matters in real life.

Read More About the Program
Vision Statement: 
To foster an appreciation for the environment and create opportunities for students to enhance their college preparatory education through outdoor experiences and community partnerships. 

Curriculum Information

South Canton Scholars Outdoor Education Program includes:
  • Use of an outdoor classroom
  • Nature walks and nature exploration
  • Science integrated across different content areas
  • Hands-on learning opportunities
  • Indoor STEM Lab
  • Team building
  • Monthly themes on topics like environmental elements, agriculture, conservation, recycling, etc.
  • Moral Focus virtues

Outdoor Classroom

The Outdoor Education Program started with a small goal of getting classes to be outside for at least 15 minutes every day. This includes activities like taking books and assignments outdoors, finding obtuse angles in nature, recycling, and composting.
 

Students using glasses to look at the Solar Eclipse
Students learning outside

Changing Seasons

Students are able to learn and witness in real time processes of hibernation, the leaves changing colors, and spotting tracks in the snow from the animals they learn about in class. They also have virtual lessons during winter months, learning about different animals and how they adapt to weather and their new-look habitats. 
 

Students identifying wild flowers
Teacher with fall leaves.
Students on snowy trail.
Students overlooking creek.

Hatching Ducks

A first grade class hatched and raised ducks from the egg stage all the way until they were ready for life on their own in the wild. Scholars from the entire school paraded through Hurn’s class to get a glimpse of the project in action.

Student with a baby duck.

Gardening

Students at South Canton Scholars tend to both indoor and outdoor gardens depending on the season.

Students with indoor garden.
Students gardening outside.
South Canton Scholars outside examining wild flowers

Outdoor Education Capturing Attention, Inspiring South Canton Scholars

South Canton Scholars has emphasized learning with nature instead of about it. The school’s Outdoor Education Program has guided scholars to academic excellence and promoted interest in nature. After two years of implementation, both scholars and educators alike are feeling the impact of taking the classroom outside.
Learn More About the Program's Success
“This has soaked into classroom culture. Our teachers that we see take their kids out on a regular basis have phenomenal class cultures. They have made a connection with their kids on a different level because, while we focus on academics with our kids, we understand that maybe not all kids excel in every area of academics." - Katie Ruwe, Dean of 3-5.

Middle School

EXCEL-ERATE