Today we’d like to introduce you to Utah Valley University’s Nature to the Classroom Network and Conference.
Hi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2015, a Utah Valley University student reached out to their professor, asking for a meaningful project to be involved in. This professor, Scott Williams (associate professor of Outdoor Recreation Management), had an idea bouncing around in his head; something that would develop into Nature to the Classroom (NTTC). Using Richard Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods” as motivation, he and a handful of university students created a conference geared toward Utah K-12 educators. Nature to the Classroom Conference and Network aims to nurture the next generation of nature lovers. We want to get kids connected to the outdoors again!
Nature to the Classroom’s mission is to support teachers, and by extension the students they teach by providing experiences, experiential framework, curriculum, and inspiration for getting students into nature and nature to the classroom.
Can you tell us a bit more about the conference?
Gladly. The Nature to the Classroom Conference takes place each fall and spring at UVU’s Field Station located in Capitol Reef National Park. We take a small group of educators out to the field station for a three-day, two-night excursion to explore the park, discuss Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods, learn about hands-on education, and set participants up with skills to incorporate the natural world into their core curriculum. During this two CEU event, educators can expect to travel, prepare meals, laugh under the stars, and explore rippled layers of sandstone together.
Our team feels very fortunate to facilitate these experiences and be part of a growing network of educators that understand the importance of exposing kids to the outdoors.
Can you tell us what your past participants have to say about their NTTC experience?
Yes! Here are some quotes from our alumni.
“My NTTC experience was awesome! I was inspired to share the love I have for the outdoors with my students. I was also reminded of the need to get my students active outdoors and to pay attention to the amazing world around them. The experience has motivated me to incorporate the outdoors and nature into my classroom and the lives of my students, both in the classroom and at home.”
“I enjoyed the NTTC conference so much! Not only was it a beautiful place, but the people were amazing! I learned so much that I can use in my teaching to create a better learning environment for my students as well as lessons that can influence their lives for years to come.”
“NTTC really opened my eyes to the possibility of incorporating nature into the classroom in meaningful and enriching ways. It seems silly now that I had never thought of this before. Spending time in nature with like-minded educators really encouraged and motivated me to bring my passion for nature and the out of doors to my students in both academic and personal ways.”
“It was an educational, fun experience that gave a ton of ideas to better incorporate outdoor education within the classroom.”
“The NTTC conference was a great experience. The conference helped me to see ways in which I can integrate nature into my classroom and share my love of nature with my students. Being around like-minded educators was wonderful and allowed for great ideas to be shared and developed.”
“My eyes have been opened (more) to the importance of nature in education! Because of my NTTC experience, I have become an advocate for teaching through and in (or should I say out in?) nature.”
“I had an incredible experience at Capitol Reef National Park Field Station. I enjoyed every minute of the NTTC conference. The field station was in a breathtaking setting. The scenery and red rock was beautiful. The weekend kicked off with an experiential session about when we learned to love nature. I realised more than ever my deep love of nature and the environment. I went on every hike offered. The Hickman bridge hike was awesome and the petroglyphs and pictographs gave great insight into the ancient Native Americans. The night hikes were incredible and I loved seeing the stars and constellations. The meals and snacks were delicious. The staff were so knowledgeable and I learned a great deal about protecting our resources. I felt I brought back ideas that enhanced my practice and benefitted my students. I was so appreciative of this great opportunity!”
“I had an amazing experience at this conference. Growing up in a city, I don’t have much experience in Nature and confidence in incorporating nature in any way. However, I gained a greater appreciation for nature while participating in this conference and left with many ideas of small and big ways to bring nature more to the forefront of instruction. This conference also helped me to form deeper relationships with my own collaborative team and with teachers from other schools.”
“My experience with NTTC was very exciting and positive. We had a small group of very diverse educators that enabled us to have very deep discussions and enlightening experiences. I enjoyed the hands-on lessons the most. This trip has really helped me realise how important it is to help our students connect to the world around them. Including nature in our school experience will help develop imagination and curiosity in our students, consequently increasing focus and good behavior.”
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
To get this program off the ground, funding was a big unknown but an anonymous donor made this program possible. We have successfully applied to a handful of grants and the participant conference fee keeps the program afloat.
We are run completely by volunteers and are lucky that a solid group of passionate educators have been able to donate their time to the program. It’s thanks to them that this conference exists; we are so grateful to have them!
Our participants may face challenges getting nature into their curriculum such as: administrative barriers, cost of supplies, funding, parent support, testing pressures, etc. Nature to the Classroom aims to assist with these challenges by providing the skills necessary to overcome these hurdles along with a great network of educators to lean on for inspiration.
We still deal with bumps in the road but are happy to have another successful conference under our belts and to be planning future NTTC events.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Nature to the Classroom believes in appropriate risk taking. We are looking to challenge our participants and get them into the flow state (between boredom and anxiety). During our three-day teacher excursion seminar, we take our participants on an off-trail hike which requires scrambling on exposed terrain; we have spotters and pass up bags to one another along the route. This experience allows participants to be pushed out of their comfort zone and build bonds by working as a team. We have found that it’s really this experience that sticks with our participants and hope that they can challenge their students in a similar way. Risk is worth the reward.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about the work of Nature to the Classroom?
We want kids to reconnect with the wild world!
As far as the impact of our program, our emphasis on inspiring and assisting teachers is deliberate. We are operating with the understanding that the teachers who attend our conference will in turn, be able to take the information and training they get through the conference and inspire their students. We are hopeful that going through teachers will have a substantial impact on the youth in Utah.
How many students do you think Nature to the Classroom has influenced?
Here is our best estimate of Nature to the Classroom’s impact:
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Number of K-12 teachers who have attended Nature to the Classroom Conference: 90 (and growing!)
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Average number of students directly taught by a Nature to the Classroom teacher per year* :170
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Number of students reached per year: 15,300
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Years teaching ** :15
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Total # of students reached via Nature to the Classroom per teacher’s career: 229,500
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* Assuming an even mix of K-6th grade and junior high teachers, where elementary school teachers directly instruct 40 students annually and
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** According to U.S. National Education Association data, the average K-12 teaching career is approximately 15 years
If anyone were interested in attending the Nature to the Classroom Conference, where could they find more information?
Please send them to our website https://www.nttcconference.com/ to find out about what we do and to apply for future conferences. We hope to see some of you in the desert soon!
Thank you for your time.
All the Best,
The Nature to the Classroom Team
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nttcconference.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturetotheclassroom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturetotheclassroom/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/
naturetotheclassroom/ - Email: NTTCconference@gmail.com
Image Credits
Torsten Bangerter
Erik Merrill
Tamara Holverson
Makenna Harmon
