Connecting schools and communities: a look at place-based learning and equitable access in SF Bay Area outdoor environmental education

Abstract

Outdoor environmental education aims to immerse students in environmental spaces and create opportunities for classroom learning to be applied in the field. However, students from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities often have less access to these educational opportunities. This study examined the environmental education programs of nine community organizations in the San Francisco (SF) Bay Area. Through twenty-one interviews with program educators, we assessed two areas: (1) place-based learning being used as a connective tool for students and the community, and (2) ways in which access barriers to programming were addressed. Findings showed that community spaces, like gardens, brought students and the community together to reinforce the mission of place-based learning. Additionally, the findings contribute to the field of outdoor environmental education and place-based education by addressing how local organizations strategized to support equitable access through tactics like financial support and multilingual programming and materials.