“Too hot? Too cold? Start here. Research and planning guides for outdoor learning spaces in every climate.”
1) The Case for Outdoor Learning
Is your climate really too hot or too cold for outdoor classrooms? This white paper brings together the latest research on how outdoor learning helps students and teachers. It shows how schools in Phoenix, Orlando, and Minnesota make it work, and why a well-planned outdoor space often costs a fraction of a building addition.
2) Comfortable Year-Round: A Facility Planner’s Guide
Worried outdoor learning only works on a few nice days? This guide gives planners dozens of ideas, organized by climate, to make outdoor spaces comfortable for teachers and students in every season. It covers shade, wind protection, airflow, and low-energy options for hot-dry, hot-humid, cold-dry, cold-wet, and four-season climates. It also includes a 30-day pilot plan.
3) Six Questions to Ask Before You Buy Furniture for Outdoor Learning Spaces
Most outdoor learning spaces fail because of what was bought for them, not because of the idea. Use these six questions to check any furniture for weather, heat and cold, rust, accessibility, and ten-year maintenance cost before you spend a dollar.