The West Valley Outdoor Learning Center is a nature-based local learning center that primarily serves kindergarten through fifth grade students within the West Valley School District. Additionally, the center also offers field trips and “open house” experiences for students outside of the West Valley school district to engage with outdoor learning by showcasing nature and a variety of animals.
The center promotes outdoor learning, which is learning that takes place outside of a traditional classroom setting, and Jami Otsby-Marsh, one of the teachers, considers outdoor learning to have a positive impact on students’ focus and behavior. They welcome volunteers for help in everything from the physical construction and maintenance needed, to working with the animals and aiding in teaching opportunities.
Otsby-Marsh spoke on how the center helps kids, saying “watching kids here that sometimes have a hard time in class […] they’re completely different kids. So, it’s meeting the needs of all learners as outdoors kind of puts us all at equilibrium in education.” The staff teach the kids through a combination of academic oriented time and outdoor exploration time, allowing students to have a “hands on experience that a typical playground would not have.”
The center hosts open houses or events every other month for interested families to experience what they have to offer. Often these open houses are themed around holiday events like the most recent open house, which was a Valentine’s Day celebration for the animals. An annual event that the center holds is the “Hoot-lightful Wonderland” that comes around Christmas and features animal interactions, hot cocoa and Christmas lights.
The center offers internships for college students. While it is not a paid internship, working with the center fulfills community service hours and offers a variety of different paths. Otsby-Marsh says, “depending on what someone’s need or passion is, we’re able to offer these internships.”
For a wider context on outdoor learning, Otsby-Marsh said, “Having people be curious about their local environment and making those conversations with other people, I think will help our world.”
