WILD About Outdoor Classroom Days and EE Festivals
About this Event
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
WILD About Outdoor Classroom Days and EE Festivals
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 9:30 AM–3:30 PM
Location: Oklahoma County OSU Extension
Inspire the next generation of outdoor explorers while building a successful environmental education event in your community. WILD About Outdoor Classroom Days and EE Festivals is a hands-on professional learning experience designed for Conservation District staff, Extension educators, 4-H professionals, natural resource agencies, nonprofits, and community partners interested in developing local outdoor learning events for elementary and middle school students.
Whether you're planning a one-day Outdoor Classroom Day, a conservation field day, an environmental education festival, or a recurring student event, this workshop will provide the tools, resources, and framework to help you move from idea to implementation. Using the nationally recognized Project WILD curriculum and the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence, you'll explore how to design engaging, educationally sound experiences that connect students to wildlife, natural resources, and the outdoors.
Through interactive activities, case studies, and collaborative planning, you'll experience Project WILD lessons as students would and learn how to build field experiences that foster observation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and environmental stewardship. You'll also explore best practices for creating high-quality environmental education programs and aligning activities with educational standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes.
During this workshop, you will:
- Experience hands-on Project WILD activities focused on wildlife, habitats, and ecological relationships
- Learn how to design engaging Outdoor Classroom Days and environmental education festivals for elementary and middle school students
- Explore the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence for both K–12 Environmental Education and Environmental Education Programs
- Identify strategies for coordinating partners, volunteers, presenters, and logistics
- Develop meaningful learning experiences that support Oklahoma Academic Standards and NGSS-aligned science practices
- Explore successful event models from across Oklahoma and beyond
- Begin creating an action plan for implementing a local event during the 2026–2027 school year
Participants will receive a Project WILD Guide filled with ready-to-use activities, planning resources, and tools that can be adapted for festivals, field days, school programs, and outdoor learning events.
A working lunch will provide additional opportunities for networking, idea sharing, and collaborative planning with fellow organizers and environmental education partners.
Whether you're launching your first event or strengthening an existing program, you'll leave with practical resources, proven strategies, and a roadmap for creating impactful outdoor learning experiences that connect students with wildlife, natural resources, and their local communities.
Workshop Details
Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Time: 9:30 AM–3:30 PM
Address: 2500 NE 63rd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Audience: Conservation Districts, Extension and 4-H educators, natural resource professionals, nonprofit educators, and community partners
Lunch: Working lunch, provided thanks to a grant from NAAEE/OKAEE
Format: Hands-on professional learning with a working lunch and collaborative planning
Focus: Designing high-quality Outdoor Classroom Days, EE Festivals, conservation field days, and student environmental learning events using Project WILD and NAAEE best practices
Leave with a plan, a toolkit, and the confidence to create an outdoor learning event that gets students exploring, discovering, and learning in the field this school year.
QUESTIONS? CONTACT US:
Jack Hilgert, [email protected], (405) 613-3835, Oklahoma Project WET and Project WILD
ABOUT THE RESOURCES:
Project WILD's mission is to provide wildlife-based conservation and environmental education that fosters responsible actions toward wildlife and related natural resources. All curriculum materials are backed by sound educational practices and theory, and represent the work of many professionals within the fields of education and natural resource management from across the country.
NAAEE K–12 Environmental Education: Guidelines for Excellence provide a roadmap for developing environmentally literate students by outlining what learners should know and be able to do by grades 4, 8, and 12. Developed through the North American Association for Environmental Education National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, the guidelines draw on the expertise of educators, scientists, curriculum developers, and environmental professionals from across North America. They establish nationally recognized benchmarks for high-quality environmental education and help educators design learning experiences that build knowledge, critical thinking, inquiry, and informed decision-making.
NAAEE Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence provide a framework for designing, evaluating, and improving high-quality environmental education programs. Developed by hundreds of practitioners and scholars representing formal and nonformal education settings, these guidelines reflect best practices in program planning, instructional design, implementation, and evaluation. They help organizations create engaging, effective, and educationally sound programs that foster meaningful learning experiences and support environmental literacy for diverse audiences.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
