Summer camp has started and we have such an amazing group! A mix of kids who've been at Outside School/Camp before and some new ones, too. Right away everyone got into forming new friendships, playing, building, and climbing, and touring our favorite spots to visit.

Enrollment

I have space for the 2021 - 2022 school year!

Outside School is in Alvarado Park, with easy access to I-80, San Pablo Avenue, and San Pablo Dam Road. Bonuses include cows, coyotes, trees, a creek, and beautiful views on our hikes!

If you or someone you know is interested in distance learning, independent study (it’s looking like this will be better supported by school districts this year!), homeschool, unschool, or any other nontraditional models of education, please check out www.outside.school!

100% small, 100% outdoors.

School

Nature News

We were really lucky to discover a dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) nest right at kids' eye level! Those near enough to the nest while also being still and quiet were able to watch both parents coming and going to feed the babies, and those who went too close while being too loud or moving too much eventually heard the distress calls of babies and parents alike needing to get back to doing their things. Both parents foraged nearby.

Here are a couple videos:

Dark-Eyed Junco Nest

Resources and Community

Please consider applying for the Rethink Outside Fellowship if you identify as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color, and are connecting people with nature and the outdoors. It will support, connect, and elevate an intergenerational group of leaders and storytellers. Even those not accepted into the fellowship will get access to the resources! More information and an application are available here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcPxwRz03pCphawxOBN4h-kdinTmcFrBvEo5affqW0jPktMQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

"Ninja Training Near the Insect Collector"

Friends of Outside School, LIV & CHIU art studio have reopened their doors at a new location in El Cerrito! They offer art classes for children and adults and I'm so excited they survived the pandemic. Please check them out!

https://www.livandchiuartstudio.com/

"Go Climb a Rock"

I feel so lucky to have Outside School, to have your support, and to be able to work with East Bay Regional Parks. But, I also know that a lot of years of development and hard work went into getting to this lucky feeling! Thank you for being a part of it! 💞

Take care,

Heather

* Feel free to forward to anyone you like!