Welcome to the School Forest Program website!
A school forest is an outdoor classroom. Students learn and apply math, art, science, language arts, and social studies while gaining an appreciation and awareness of natural resources.
For students, School Forests develop and provide:
- self-esteem
- sense of community
- skills
- knowledge base
- life-long critical thinking
- real-life situations
- frequent, enjoyable outdoor experiences
- engagement in learning
For schools, the School Forest program provides:
- outdoor and environmental education assistance and resources
- land management assistance and other support services
Open the door to natural resources for your students today!
Highlights
Julia Battern, the Mankato East High School science teacher, won the MFEA Buzz Ryan Award. Check out the video as she explains how her classes tackled buckthorn in their school forest.
Find Inspiration
See the Site Features page to get ideas for your next project. View other School Forest site features such as benches, classroom seating areas, signs, and wildlife features.