About
Growing up in Southeast Louisiana, Matthew always had a love for nature and education. When he later discovered that there was such a thing as outdoor education and outdoor schools, he jumped at the opportunity to spend a year at one such school--living in the woods and teaching children about nature and cultural history. It was an 8-month internship that changed his life, professionally and personally. There was only one problem. The internship was in Ohio and it took him far away from his family and the landscapes he grew up with. Realizing the incredible impact that outdoor schools had on him and thousands of kids in just one year, he dreamed to one day start something similar back home in the Gulf South.
Residential outdoor schools are not well known in the gulf south region, but they are widespread elsewhere. In the midwest, east coast, west coast and upper southeast many outdoor schools have been connecting people to the natural world for over 50 years. The residential aspect of these programs cannot be underestimated. In today’s world of overstimulation and constant distractions, it takes time to decompress, slow down and clear our minds. It takes time to get comfortable and open up to the natural world and to new people. It takes time to build relationships.
Coastal Plains Outdoor School aims to bring those opportunities to people of all ages. We have made a conscious choice to begin with adult and family programs in order to build the support base that will be needed to launch future youth programs, including summer camps and residential school field trips. One of our high priorities is to acquire land that will allow us to fully demonstrate the potential of the residential outdoor school model. Our future home will allow us to more effectively curate outdoor learning, demonstrate best practices in land management and provide a hub for a number of community-focused activities. In the meantime, we will be utilizing public land, building partnerships and developing a strategic plan for a future campus.
Learn more about outdoor schools by watching the playlist below. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]. If you’d like to stay informed about upcoming classes, sign up for our mailing list.
Residential outdoor schools are not well known in the gulf south region, but they are widespread elsewhere. In the midwest, east coast, west coast and upper southeast many outdoor schools have been connecting people to the natural world for over 50 years. The residential aspect of these programs cannot be underestimated. In today’s world of overstimulation and constant distractions, it takes time to decompress, slow down and clear our minds. It takes time to get comfortable and open up to the natural world and to new people. It takes time to build relationships.
Coastal Plains Outdoor School aims to bring those opportunities to people of all ages. We have made a conscious choice to begin with adult and family programs in order to build the support base that will be needed to launch future youth programs, including summer camps and residential school field trips. One of our high priorities is to acquire land that will allow us to fully demonstrate the potential of the residential outdoor school model. Our future home will allow us to more effectively curate outdoor learning, demonstrate best practices in land management and provide a hub for a number of community-focused activities. In the meantime, we will be utilizing public land, building partnerships and developing a strategic plan for a future campus.
Learn more about outdoor schools by watching the playlist below. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]. If you’d like to stay informed about upcoming classes, sign up for our mailing list.
