Our two-part workshop series helped Caldera instructors integrate environmental themes and hands-on learning into youth arts programming, strengthening their ability to connect creative practice with the natural world and contributing to new environmental programming for Caldera youth.

A comprehensive review of program materials, website content, and participant intake processes surfaced opportunities to create clearer pathways to the Center’s services. Recommendations led to redesigned communications, website, and intake materials that better connected prospective participants with available resources.

hrough professional development, program assessment, and staff listening sessions, this partnership examined program and workplace practices, resulting in updated HR policies designed to improve staff experience, retention, and organizational capacity.

This strategic implementation plan provided Seattle Public Schools with a three-year roadmap for expanding Outdoor and Community Learning district-wide. The plan drew on risk and opportunity analysis, potential applications, and relevant community research to identify priorities and recommendations for strengthening outdoor access and environmental learning within the district’s Department of Liberatory Education.

Collaboration with local National Wildlife Refuge and Migratory Bird program staff expanded outdoor education and STEAM opportunities for young people, including assessment and revision of the Bird by Bird classroom curriculum. The work also strengthened partnerships with schools and program providers and supported expansion into new service areas.

What began as K-12 curriculum development and professional development for Energy Trust’s after-school programs evolved into a broader organizational engagement. When implementation surfaced infrastructure gaps, ELSO developed a capacity-building roadmap that helped Energy Trust assess feasibility and make informed decisions about sustainable expansion.

One of our most comprehensive projects, this multi-year progression of outdoor learning experiences was designed to prepare 2nd-4th grade students for 6th grade Outdoor School through a series of classroom visits, field trips, family engagement, and a culminating overnight experience, giving students multiple opportunities to build familiarity and confidence in outdoor learning. Through ELSO’s support across program assessment, curriculum planning, community engagement, and professional development, Bird Alliance created an experience that had a measurable impact on 6th grade Outdoor School attendance, with families reporting greater trust in sending their children to Outdoor School, and students arriving feeling meaningfully more prepared. Check out our Project Roadmap!

Our cohort-based professional learning series for Outdoor School providers focused on strengthening access, participation, and student experience in multi-day programming. Post-program feedback showed stronger understanding of how trust and belonging influence student learning and greater comfort applying new strategies.

Professional learning and follow-up coaching helped Southwest Washington educators implement Project Voice, a student-led inquiry project focused on creating healthy and vibrant communities. Teachers built practical tools for connecting classroom learning with local issues and community knowledge. Learn more about Project VOICE!

This community-informed environmental assessment used listening sessions, interactive data collection, and storytelling to gather input from students, families, and community members. The project translated community insight into an implementation roadmap to help position the school grounds as a hub for learning, connection, and community activity.