First Steps into the Great Outdoors
When Kids Become Campers
Even the best opportunities can be a little scary if you’ve never experienced them before. Thanks to support from your lottery play, Outdoor School is helping students try new things and thrive.
Breaking Down Barriers
It’s natural to assume that every student is thrilled with the idea of attending Outdoor School. After all, what’s not to love? Between classic outdoor activities (like archery, hiking or canoeing) and the chance to experience science lessons in a real-world setting, most students eagerly countdown the days until their Outdoor School adventure begins.
Not every family, however, is quick to embrace the idea of sending a child away to camp. Angel and his family were hesitant to spend a week apart. And they aren’t alone. For many families, keeping their children close is part of their culture. For others, economic reasons may have kept them from experiencing camping firsthand, so it remains outside of their comfort zone—and means they might not have access to the equipment that their child needs for the week. There are many reasons families might conclude that Outdoor School just isn’t right for them.
Lottery Funds Making a Difference
Luckily, in 2016 Oregon voters extended Lottery funding to Outdoor School. The funds, administered through the OSU Extension Service, are meant to enable every 5th or 6th grade student in Oregon to attend Outdoor School. The funds have helped break down many barriers to attendance. They have been used, in some cases, to help camp facilities finance accessibility projects that makes camp possible for students who need those accommodations. It has helped districts assemble gear “libraries” (see below) so families can checkout equipment they don’t already own. It has even helped formalize classroom lessons presented before Outdoor School—lessons designed to help address kids’ anxieties about being away from home, some for the very first time.
Voters had a dream: that every child in Oregon should have the opportunity to participate in a treasured Oregon tradition—Outdoor School. Thanks in part to your lottery play, it’s happening!
Accessing Equipment
And even though most required equipment is provided by the school’s camp facility, there are still some basics that families need to provide for their Outdoor School student. Usually these items include things like a sleeping bag, flashlight, sturdy hiking shoes or rain gear.
Organizers are aware that not every family has a garage full of camping equipment carefully stored in anticipation of their next outdoor adventure, and they don’t want a lack of equipment to ever be a barrier to any child’s participation. Luckily, school districts have gotten creative to address the need! Many have used funding—and sometimes donated materials from the community—to create libraries of equipment that students might need during their time at Outdoor School. Providing the option to check out gear is a great way to make sure everyone is included.
How Long is That Bus Trip?
Camps Across Oregon
Close to home or across the state, Outdoor School is hosted in camp facilities all across Oregon
Different Schools/Different Answers
The Multnomah School District sends many of their Outdoor School students to Camp Kuratli. Located just 11 miles east of Clackamas, it’s an ideal location for Portland area schools — close enough to home to maximize their time at camp, but far enough away to escape to a forested, creekside setting. The camp’s environment offers an exciting counterpoint to Oregon’s more urban areas. For some students, it’s their first opportunity to explore an unspoiled natural environment.
So Many Choices
Many school districts take the same approach — picking a camp facility that’s relatively close to home. But others take a very different approach. Some schools in Eastern Oregon, for example, choose a camp on the coast, giving some children their very first opportunity to see the ocean. Some districts on the western side of the state send their students east to experience the Oregon Desert, perhaps studying fossils and volcanic environments that they otherwise might not get to experience. There is no wrong answer when it comes to picking a location for Outdoor School!
Camp Kuratli
Camp Kuratli has been an Oregon fixture since 1928. A Salvation Army Camp, Kuratli offers a full schedule of summer camps in addition to the Outdoor School sessions that help it extend its operations beyond summer. Like many camps that host Outdoor School, Camp Kuratli also serves as a conference and retreat center, sometimes hosting private events. Outdoor School is part of a business model that helps strengthen many — often beloved — Oregon camp facilities.
Hosting Outdoor School strengthens Oregon’s camp facilities while the Outdoor School programs they host provide lasting and treasured memories to Oregon public school students. It’s a win-win for Oregon, thanks in part to your lottery play!
Camp KuratliOregon Lottery + Outdoor School
What A Team
For decades Oregon has prioritized the importance of hands-on learning by getting students outside to explore environmental and natural sciences amid the natural beauty of our state. When Oregonians voted to allot 4% of Lottery revenue to support Outdoor School programs, it tasked the Oregon State University Extension Service with facilitating the program throughout the state. The Extension Service is historically immersed in all things “Oregon outdoors,” making it uniquely qualified to administer the new funding.
Thanks to their efforts and the revenue made possible by your lottery play (thank you!), more Oregon schools than ever are able to support traditional curriculum with an overnight camp experience — and the number is growing.
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