Why outdoor school? 

At Roots & Wings, we believe that learning thrives in connection- with nature, with community, and with ourselves. Outdoor education allows children to move, explore, ask questions, and engage their whole selves in the learning process. When children spend time outside, they develop resilience, curiosity, creativity, and a deep sense of belonging in the natural world. 

We see the land as not just a backdrop, but as a teacher. The changing seasons, the sounds of the forest, the textures of the soil and stones; all offer lessons in patience, observation, and stewardship. In an age of fast-paced, screen-based living, outdoor learning invites us to slow down, tune in, and grow together.  By fostering love and interconnection for the natural world at a young age, we strive to develop children into lifelong champions of the environment.

Roots & Wings is more than a school- it’s a community where families and educators co-create an environment that honors the rhythms of childhood, centers play, and nurtures the roots of lifelong learning. We learn where the wind sings through the trees, where muddy hands tell stories, and curiosity takes root. In a world that often asks children to sit still, we invite them to move, to listen, to belong. Because when we learn outdoors, we remember what it means to be connected to Earth, to each other,  and to ourselves.

As an outdoor program, we understand the impacts humans have on the ecosystems we are connected to. Our teachers and co-op members are experienced outdoor enthusiasts, utilizing  Leave No Trace principles while recreating, working, and teaching in nature. We are committed to keeping wild spaces not only accessible for all, but protected for the health of the world. 

Roots & Wings recognizes that children play an essential role as young stewards of nature- for the future and for today. As a program located in the Palouse area, we also recognize the realities facing wild spaces where we live, and that we live and learn on the homelands of the Palus and Nimiipuu peoples. We are committed to teaching Leave No Trace principles to the next generation of stewards for the wild and resilient Palouse ecosystem. 

During our first weeks of school, teachers will incorporate LNT principles into the curriculum. Students will take active roles in maintaining a place that they are getting to know, deepening their connection with acts of care, love, and attention. Lessons like plant identification, weather observation, and trail etiquette will help students learn LNT through day to day experiences at school.