Education Programs
Perhaps like nowhere else on earth, Alaska’s landscape is a force unto itself, constantly shaping the lives of its people and the communities they create. Our year-round outdoor learning programs foster curiosity, pride of place, and lifelong connection to our natural and cultural heritage.
500+
Program Days
4,800+
Participants
1,000+
Teacher, Volunteers & Partner Staff Engaged
20,000+
Hours Spent Outdoors
Our Programs
Education Through Adventure
Outdoor Education All Winter Long
Fresh Air and Fun After School
Alaska Outdoor School
Calling all fifth graders with a thirst for education through adventure! Outdoor Schools are overnight programs that take place on public lands across the United States with the shared goal of cultivating student success and lifelong connection to the natural world through immersive place-based outdoor education. Our two-night, three-day program is held each spring (April – May) and fall (September – October).
SnowSchool
Keeping outdoor education going strong all winter long! SnowSchool connects K-12 students to snow science, watersheds, and winter recreation using STEM-based curriculum resources from the Winter Wildlands Alliance and Our Winter World. Field trips and classroom visits are offered January – April each year.
Fresh Air Fridays
There’s no better way to spend a Friday afternoon than outside with friends. Our Fresh Air Fridays program does just that- offering fresh air and fun after school and on KPBSD early release and in-service days. Fresh Air Fridays is currently offered in Whittier, Seward and Moose Pass during the school year (September – April).
Pathfinders
Let’s hit the trails! Pathfinders, our trails-based outdoor education program, empowers participants to build skills, have adventures, and practice stewardship while exploring our region’s excellent trail network. From the Iditarod National Historic Trail to the Russian River Falls, there’s so much to see and learn. Pathfinders is currently offered as a summer day program at locations across the Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm (KMTA) region.
Coastal Connections Camp
Water taxis, paddleboards, and kayaks oh my! Coastal Connections Camp is all about exploration of Alaska’s coastal ecosystems. When you live where glaciers, mountains, and ocean meet the earth’s northernmost rainforest, there’s awe and wonder hiding in every nook and cranny. Camp activities include adventure outings, team-building, science, life skills, and art. Coastal Connections Camp is currently offered as a week-long summer camp series for Seward & Whittier middle school-aged participants.
