Outdoor Education for Students, Teachers and Families

Outdoor Education Schools throughout Northern California and elsewhere in the state continue to inspire students and teachers to express their thirst for knowledge of nature, history and science.

Coloma Outdoor Gold Discovery School, begun in 1990 by educational visionaries Marielle and Fred Faieta, stresses team building techniques for students, teachers and adults through sharing of ideas, working together to accomplish tasks, and teaching each other new skills learned while on site.

There are nature hikes, corn bread cooking, wellness lessons on nutrition with emphasis on well balanced meals, building of community gardens, and specially crafted lessons on care and husbanding of the environment. All of the lessons are taught by instructors called Naturalists specifically trained in outdoor education techniques .

CODS employs specifically designed courses for every grade level 4^th grade to adults and offer ropes challenge , wellness clinics through the FIT Program, white water rafting, and summer camps classes for the entire family.

and in Napa attend CODS each year for three days of outdoor education at this facility. Nancy Caffo, El Centro 4th grade teacher, began trips to CODS in 1992 and retires in June. El Centro students will continue visiting CODS each year with new teachers.

More information can be found on their web site www.cods.org

Outdoor education schools in Northern California also include the Yosemite Institute, attended by ; Marin Headland Institute (5^th graders from El Centro Elem.) and Walker Creek Outdoor School in Mendocino County.

More information on various outdoor education camps, and schools as well as their curriculum content can be researched by logging onto aeoe.org.