PVAS’s Outdoor School is a great opportunity for your child to participate in hands-on, experiential learning. Each class consists of a thematic nature lesson, a hike, and nature exploration. Reading, writing, art and math are all incorporated into our nature lessons. Sessions are held once a week for a month! Sessions will be kept small – 12 kids total and two adult instructors.
If you have any questions, please contact Amy Moore Thomas at Amy@PotomacAudubon.Org
Registration for Fall 2022 Outdoor School Programs is open!
Fall 2022 Sessions
September Theme: Plants and Pollinators
Pricing: $215 members / $235 non-members
4 full-day classes at Cool Spring Preserve (Thursdays)
Thursdays 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. — September 8, 15, 22, 29
October Theme: Welcome Fall!
Pricing: $215 members / $235 non-members
4 full-day classes at Cool Spring Preserve (Tuesdays) or Yankauer Nature Preserve (Thursdays)
Session 1: Tuesdays Cool Spring Preserve: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. — October 4, 11, 18 and 25
Session 2: Thursdays at Yankauer Nature Preserve: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. — October 6, 13, 20 and 27
November Theme: Forest Ecology
Pricing: $165 members / $180 non-members
3 full-day classes at Cool Spring Preserve
Tuesdays at Cool Spring Preserve: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. — November 1, 8, 15
December Theme: Winter Wonderful
Pricing: $165 members / $180 non-members
3 full-day classes at Cool Spring Preserve
Session 1: Tuesdays 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. — November 29, December 6, 13
Session 2: Thursdays 9:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. — December 1, 8, 15
Scholarships
We want all children to have a chance to come to Outdoor School no matter their financial circumstances. Scholarships to attend Outdoor School are available for families with financial need and qualify for the Federal Free/Reduced School Lunch Program. Click here to see if you qualify for this program. Download our Outdoor School Scholarship Form here.
Do not register for Outdoor School if you are applying for a scholarship. PVAS will notify you within 2 weeks of receiving your scholarship application to inform you if you have received the scholarship, the scholarship amount and provide you with a link to a registration form for scholarship recipients. Spaces are held in each of our Outdoor School sessions for scholarship recipients so that sessions will not be fill up before you receive your scholarship.
Policies
At Outdoor School, we believe that “there is no bad weather, only bad clothing (choices)!” Any child can happily enjoy the outdoors for many hours, even in cold or rainy weather, if equipped with the right clothing to keep them warm and dry. So please send your child with the right layers to set them up for success.
For cold weather we recommend:
- A base layer consisting of synthetic (polyester, polypropylene) or wool long underwear to go under their clothes and wool socks to keep their feet warm
- Warm fleece pants and a fleece pullover or zip-up jacket.
- A down or synthetic puffy jacket
- A fleece or wool hat, a fleece neck warmer, a pair of thin fleece, wool, or synthetic gloves, a pair of waterproof mittens
For days that are particularly cold, students will be broken into small groups to enter the nature (masks required) for 15 minute warm up sessions.
You are welcome to send you child with a thermos containing a hot beverage.
Updated Mask Policy (12/13/21): Children and instructors are only required to wear masks when indoors. We spend majority of the program outdoors, but come inside the nature center for short warm up breaks, during inclement weather and for bathroom usage. Please send your child with a mask to have on hand for entering the building.
To maximize safety we will:
- Provide an experience that mostly outdoors
- Promote healthy hygiene practices
- Intensify cleaning, disinfection of shared supplies
- Promote physical distancing of at least 6 feet between staff and participant
Cancellation Policy
PVAS may cancel a program if:
- West Virginia Governor issues a Stay at Home Order or an order restricting group size;
- hazardous weather that would create unsafe road conditions or unsafe conditions for being outside is forecasted;
- a staff member critical to conducting an event is diagnosed with an active case of COVID-19;
- the session doesn’t meet PVAS’s registration number minimum.
Registrants will be notified by email of any cancelations by 5:00 p.m. the evening before the program.
If PVAS cancels this program and a registration fee has been paid, 100% of your payment will be refunded.
For full cancellation requests by registrants made more than one week prior to the start of Outdoor School, a refund will be given minus the $25 non-refundable registration fee. Cancellations made less than a week prior to the start of Outdoor School will receive no refunds. We will waive the $25 registration fee for cancellations for individual classes that are made due to COVID-19 or other illness. If your child misses a day of outdoor school due to illness, PVAS will issue a pro-rated refund for that class. Cancellation requests can be sent to Chanda Drew at admin@potomacaudubon.org.
*We understand that last minute cancellations might need to happen, but please try to let us know as soon as possible, so that depending on the circumstance, we can open the spot to someone else.
The Potomac Valley Audubon Society (PVAS) does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any service recipient, applicant, program staff, or the public on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, age, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or veteran status.