Outdoor Classrooms

The Nebraska Department of Education says our state has about 1,250 public and private schools. Nearly every one has some kind of school yard or playground, providing an opportunity for teachers, administrators, students and parents to develop outdoor classrooms and incorporate them into the school's curriculum. Many Nebraska schools have included native prairie, ponds, wetlands, trees and other habitat in their outdoor classrooms.

National Wildlife Federation has a Schoolyard Habitat Program designed to help schools develop outdoor classrooms that attract and support local wildlife. NWF's resources include a how-to guide to creating schoolyard habitat areas, ideas for finding local support, lesson plans, and links to sources of grant funding for outdoor classrooms. Below is a list of Certified Schoolyard Habitat Areas in Nebraska you can visit.

Some of Nebraska's Natural Resource Districts also offer grants to schools to support outdoor classrooms. Find your local NRD contact here.

The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum has helped many Nebraska schools develop outdoor classrooms, and has information on its website.

National Wildlife Federation's Eco-Schools program takes a holistic approach to greening schools, by incorporating efforts to reduce energy and water use, develop outdoor classrooms, reduce climate footprint, improve transportation, reduce waste and boost recycling.

Some of Nebraska's best outdoor classrooms are Certified Schoolyard Habitat Areas, which you can visit in communities around Nebraska:

Central Platte Natural Resources District