Moving Class Outside: Decades-long Movement Gets Boost from Pandemic

Maria Libby had always wanted to make outdoor education a fundamental part of the school district she runs near Camden, Maine. Libby, a former Outward Bound instructor, had a bounty of outdoor resources in her district, a river, a lake, an ocean, and mountains. Taking advantage of the natural resources in Five Town Community School District, where she has been a superintendent since 2015, made sense. But nothing had moved beyond a discussion with other administrators until COVID-19 hit, she said in an interview.

Now Adirondack chairs dot the grounds at the elementary, middle, and high schools. A nature trail…