Trading screen time for green time in Oakland schools

"Oakland Goes Outdoors, a local nonprofit organization that has partnered with Oakland Unified School District since 2018 to bring students out of the classroom and into the outdoors, on camping trips and hikes, for sailing expeditions and rock climbing. The trips are designed to connect students with nature, help them build stronger relationships with their peers and teachers, and introduce new places and skills that can sometimes seem inaccessible for youth from low-income neighborhoods."

"Our student population does not have the same access to the outdoors that other parts of Oakland has. It's particularly important that we do this through school, because that gives them a chance to get to some of these locations that are relatively close but they've not been able to explore."

Oakland Goes Outdoors, a nonprofit organization, has partnered with Oakland Unified School District since 2018 to bring students on outdoor experiences including camping trips, hikes, sailing expeditions, and rock climbing. These programs connect students with nature, strengthen peer and teacher relationships, and introduce skills and places that may seem inaccessible to youth from low-income neighborhoods. Many OUSD schools, particularly in the flatlands, lack proximity to parks and trails. The pandemic renewed interest in using outdoor spaces as classrooms. The organization completed its 1,000th trip with OUSD, demonstrating the program's significant reach and impact on student access to outdoor education and natural environments.

Read at The Oaklandside