EEASC 2026 Conference Camp Compass

Within the world of environmental education, the obvious goal is to allow students to spend time in the environment....What do you do when that isn't possible? How do we as educators work to recreate the wonder of being outdoors when we are confined to classrooms, labs, and indoor workspaces? We will explore the effective use of space, thematic learning environments, storytelling, and other methods as ways to create lasting impact with less than ideal conditions. We will focus specifically on effective curriculum design for summer day camps and how to "bring the outdoors in."

Designing Nature: Student-Built Sustainable Gardens highlights how students transformed a school courtyard into a living outdoor classroom through interdisciplinary learning and hands-on design. Agriculture, engineering, astronomy, art, and environmental science classes collaborated to plan and build a native-plant garden that supports biodiversity and sustainability. Students mapped the local watershed, created light-intensity maps using astronomy concepts, designed artistic features such as murals, and applied agricultural practices to establish healthy native plant systems. This session shares how real-world problem solving, design thinking, and cross-disciplinary collaboration empowered students to build a functional, beautiful, and sustainable space while developing scientific, technical, and creative skills.