Residential outdoor environmental education positively influences students' self-perception and environmental awarenessThis study examined two separate residential outdoor environmental education (ROEE) programs and the remembered experiences or memories of 54 teenage participants. The major purpose was to explore the uses of those memories as outcomes within the context of the potential long-term impacts and goals of environmental education.
Participating programs included the North Cascades Institute’s Mountain School in the Pacific Northwest (n=18) and Teton Science School in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (n=36). Interviews were conducted with all 54 former participants who had participated in their respective programs in the 5<sup>th</sup> (North Cascades and Teton) and 7<sup>th</sup> grades (Teton only). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants five years post-experience placing those from the North Cascades program in 10<sup>th</sup> grade and those from Teton Science School in 12<sup>th</sup> grade. The authors applied a memory-based theoretical framework to the study to understand what experiences participants recall and how those memories inform (or not) the meaning and influence of that experience.
The findings of this study provide evidence for how experiences that engage all of the senses and the whole body, the whole <em>person</em>, are more likely to contribute to learning and lasting knowledge. Direct experience with nature inspired in these youth a sense of environmental stewardship through connecting directly with the place in which they live and being shown the science behind that place and why conserving it matters.
Additionally, for many of these students, being in nature with their peers was a profound experience that not only reinforced pro-environmental behaviors, but also provided an opportunity to hone one’s cooperation skills, problem-solving skills, and the ability to make new friends. Students spoke of how the experience of camping and spending several days in nature helped remove the social barriers and level the playing field, suggesting that in other settings (such as school) this is not the case. The process of reflecting on this experience several years later was also cited as an important influence on social interaction as students shared their stories and memories of that experience with one another.
An implication from this study is that programs should look for opportunities to offer ongoing experiences for participants, either through participant reunions, post-participation alumni meetings and field trips, or as mentors within the program. The authors rightly suggest the need for “sequential EE efforts and cumulative impacts.” In other words, EE programs looking to promote environmental stewardship should look for ways to either provide scaffolded, sequential experiences that build off of the previous or to partner with other organizations with a similar mission and ability to provide additional experiences that can support connection to nature, pro-environmental action and stewardship.
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