Check out AISD's Outdoor Learning Tool Kit!
Print posters, view field trip guides, and access other resources to grow outdoor learning at your campus.
At Austin ISD, we know that learning extends beyond the walls of the classroom. Students who play and learn outdoors are healthier, happier, and perform better academically. Our Outdoor Wonder and Learning (OWL) Program helps teachers and students use Austin ISD's outdoor spaces as extensions of the classroom through field trips, professional learning, curriculum resources, and hands-on experiences in nature.
Austin Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights
On January 26, 2017 the Austin City Council unanimously approved the Austin Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights and AISD proudly signed the pledge to support it. This initiative ensures that every child has access to nature, promoting exploration and a lifelong connection with the environment. Download and display this poster. The resolution states:
"Children of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities have the right to climb a tree, catch a fish, picnic in a park, hike a trail, ride a bike, splash in a creek or river, discover plants and wildlife, play in the sand and mud, gaze at the night sky, chase a firefly, plant a seed and watch it grow, and harvest and eat a fruit or vegetable."
Initiatives
Field trips to the OWL Center, our district's nature-based outdoor learning center, allow teachers and students to engage with nature in a hands-on, meaningful way. Email OWL@austinisd.org to schedule a FREE field trip to the OWL Center. Learn more here!
We provide hands-on professional development for teachers, empowering them to utilize outdoor spaces effectively. Reach out to owl@austinisd.org to request training or guidance at your campus. Explore more professional learning opportunities →
AISD provides free field trips to the Outdoor Wonder and Learning (OWL) Center. Reach out to OWL@austinisd.org to request a field trip. Learn about other nature-based, outdoor field trips here .
AISD collaborates with the Cities Connecting Children to Nature program to create Green School Parks. These schoolyards have outdoor learning features and are accessible to the public outside of school hours, encouraging community engagement and outdoor activity. Austin ISD schools have the opportunity to apply to be a Green School Park and receive the official designation.
If your school wishes to create improvements on your campus, consult with the community and find a staff member to submit a Campus New Project Request . Refer to Central Texas School Garden Network for ideas and guidance.
Austin ISD has over 100 gardens across our schools. Schools can certify their gardens as as Wildlife Habitat or Monarch Hero by the National Wildlife Federation, attracting monarchs, birds, and native wildlife, creating vibrant ecosystems for students to study and appreciate. If you have an active produce garden, we invite youto participate in AISD’s Garden to Café program!
Get Involved
We invite parents, students, and community members to participate in our outdoor learning initiatives. Whether through volunteering in school gardens, starting your own Green Team to achieve EcoSchool certification from the National Wildlife Foundation, attending community events, or exploring our Green School Parks, there are countless ways to support outdoor education at AISD. Explore how to get involved →
Resources:
City of Austin Nature Play Guidelines
Partners for Education, Agriculture, and Sustainability (PEAS)
National Wildlife Federation EcoSchools , Monarch Heroes, and Schoolyard Habitat Programs
Greening Your Schoolyard - see “explore Green Features” for design & maintenance info
Nominate a school garden superstar for a FiG Award!
Children in Nature Network, green schoolyard infographics, and advocacy toolkit
Families in Nature
Outdoor Learning Grant funding opportunities
Contact Us
For more information about the Austin ISD Outdoor Learning Program, please email: OWL@austinisd.org
Thank you for supporting outdoor education in Austin ISD. Together, we can nurture a love for nature and learning in our students!
“If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.” - David Sobel