Friends of Outdoor School works to connect, support, and advocate for all of Oregon’s diverse students to learn at inclusive and accessible Outdoor School (ODS) programs that contribute to educational development, inspire youth, promote personal growth, and embrace justice. We do this through advocacy, community engagement, and support for the network of Outdoor School programs, places, and people.

Our coalition work includes online and in-person gatherings of Outdoor School community members, professionals, and stakeholders who want to engage in achieving a vision of Outdoor School in which every child can belong.

Currently, we have three regular virtual gatherings people can plug in to:

The High School Leadership Roundtable meets to build programs that:

• create a sense of belonging and connection to place for youth,
• empower youth with skills and confidence to create a healthy positive future for themselves and their communities,
• and where youth leaders reflect the communities they serve.

The Staff Support Roundtable meets to create a workplace that…

• Provides fair compensation to staff at all levels;
• Educates and engages staff with professional development and career pathways;
• Is an inclusive, welcoming place and a positive experience for staff;
• Where all have an increased appreciation for and understanding of the planet we live on, making a positive difference for current and future generations;
• Values, supports, and celebrates staff and their talents, input, and experience.

The Seasonal Staff Roundtable brings student-facing staff together to discuss needs, how meeting those needs supports the student experience, and how the group can work toward program improvement for staff and students.

We encourage interested folks to join our roundtables and other events and find out more about how to participate in the roundtables and other events at our website.