Growing Minds: Outdoor Classrooms Inspire Learning
From boosting your mood to enhancing your brain’s cognitive ability, going outside does wonders for EVERYONE. This is especially true for elementary school students. A recent study by medical journal Frontiers, Getting Out of the Classroom and Into Nature, concluded that “nature-specific outdoor learning has measurable socio-emotional, academic and wellbeing benefits, and should be incorporated into every child’s school experience. ”Tree Trust’s environmental education program, Learning with Trees™, is installing outdoor classrooms at five schools this spring. In addition to planting trees, we are excited to provide classroom space for students to learn outdoors. The bonus? The benches for our outdoor classrooms were handmade by our Tree Trust YouthBuild participants!
A Collaborative Circle
At Tree Trust, our programs collaborate to transform lives and landscapes. Tree Trust YouthBuild participants dedicated time from their school year to learning, practicing, and mastering the basics of construction. Their efforts and hard work resulted in twenty-two free-standing benches, and eight in-ground benches, stained and ready to install at local elementary schools. For many participants, the opportunity to get out of the classroom and into the Tree Trust shop to learn new skills hands-on is a game changer. While exploring the world of skilled trades careers, these participants build structures to enhance community spaces. These benches will help facilitate outdoor learning for elementary school students across the Twin Cities metro area and Greater Minnesota.
Green Team
Tree Trust’s Learning with Trees program transforms school grounds into beautiful green spaces. In addition to the school-wide planting days where every classroom gets to plant, name, and commit to caring for their very own tree, we also collaborate with schools to design and install outdoor classrooms. Our program coordinator works with each school’s Green Team, a group consisting of teachers, students, parent volunteers, and other interested parties to bring their vision of an outdoor classroom to life.
Designing the Perfect Outdoor Classroom
Creating an effective outdoor classroom starts with thoughtful planning. We work closely with schools to find the ideal location—one that is close enough for teachers to use regularly, yet positioned to minimize distractions from playgrounds and windows. Shade, and natural screening are also key considerations to ensure a comfortable and engaging learning space. When it comes to seating, we offer a variety of options to fit each school’s needs, from collaborative bench circles to amphitheater-style layouts facing natural spaces for scientific observation. Schools can choose between moveable backed benches, secure in-ground installations, and even picnic tables for more functionality. To bring these designs to life, we use augmented reality to create before-and-after visuals, allowing schools to see how their outdoor classroom—and newly planted trees—will grow and evolve over time. This helps create a space that is both functional and inspiring for years to come!
Full Circle
The highlight of our Learning with Trees program is a school-wide planting day, where students put their tree knowledge into action and their outdoor classroom is installed. After exploring our interactive Our Town Trees exhibit, students jump at the chance to get their hands in the dirt and make a lasting impact on their school grounds. As lines of excited students file outside, our Tree Trust YouthBuild team trainers and volunteers are hard at work installing outdoor classrooms, creating even more opportunities for learning in nature.
For Linwood Elementary Principal Gretchen Mattson, the addition of an outdoor classroom was just as exciting as the new trees. “One of the most exciting parts of this program is that in our school forest we already have two classrooms, and through Tree Trust, we’re adding a third—right at the entrance to the forest,” she shared. “It is going to be amazing because we always have the kids stop there to talk about why we are going into the forest, what they need to do, and important reminders. Now, we will have a beautiful space where they can sit, listen, and get ready for their outdoor learning experience. We are so thankful for Tree Trust!”
Rooted in Learning
At Tree Trust, we believe that outdoor spaces are powerful places for growth—both for trees and for young minds. By planting trees, building outdoor classrooms, and crafting benches by hand, our programs create lasting changes in schools and communities. With every tree planted and every bench installed, we are not just transforming landscapes, we are growing the next generation of environmental stewards. And as these spaces grow and evolve, so will the students who learn within them, deepening their connection to the natural world for years to come.
