The Teaching Outside Collaborative (TOC), involves partnerships with Whatcom County nonprofits, the Lummi Nation, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), hosts workshops inspiring teachers to incorporate outdoor learning.

These sessions focus on risk management in outdoor classrooms, engaging teachers in hands-on activities, and providing tools for teaching on school grounds and parks. Teachers discuss the benefits of outdoor learning, including connecting students with the world, accommodating diverse learning styles, fostering curiosity, building relationships with the environment, integrating social-emotional learning, and allowing physical exercise.

The goal is to offer various outdoor learning methods, such as modeling natural phenomena through games, problem-based learning with found materials, and inquiry-based nature journaling. Teachers gain confidence and deepen their knowledge of salmon and watersheds, fostering creative learning.

NSEA and WWU have presented this curriculum at Washington Science Teachers Association (WSTA) Conferences, expanding the TOC’s reach statewide. Teachers beyond Whatcom County are now utilizing it to connect students to watershed and salmon education, aligning with NSEA’s commitment to instill hope in education and empower students to act for the crucial benefit of salmon and the region’s environment, culture, and economy.