Increased focus and attention
“I had one student with a very short attention span, yet when we were able to experience learning physically, he was able to tell me all about photosynthesis and the life cycle of trees.”
– 2nd-grade teacher
Increased motivation and engagement in schoolwork
“What I love most about PEI is the focus on getting kids outside and developing a sense of place. Engagement is always high and they’re better able to make connections with the material we work on indoors when they have firsthand experience outdoors.”
– K-2 STEM Specialist
Reduced risk of depression
“I see kids coming to school with purpose and with peace in their hearts. They feel like what they’re learning is important and applicable.”
– Third-grade teacher
Boosted attendance
“What I see in our CTE classes since we started working with PEI is more involvement. When we first started offering the classes there was low enrollment. Now it has more than doubled. The students know that get to be outside every couple of days to spend time in nature and see the relevance and the science in what they’re learning.”
– Career and Technical Education Director
Reduced disruptive behavior
Early exposure to potential outdoor careers
“We have so many community partners who work with our kids and our teachers. It exposes kids to a set of careers they might not have otherwise known about.”
Civic engagement
“What I loved with using PEI’s math performance task was how all these other specialties come into play. We have to be strong readers. We have to be critical thinkers. We have to be able to analyze patterns and engineer solutions to these problems. But most of all, we have to care about these issues because we’re part of a community. It is our civic duty.” –
– 4th-grade teacher