Unlike classroom learning, outdoor education uses the student's whole environment as a source of knowledge. The community, rather than the classroom, is the context of learning. Outdoor education includes more than studies of nature, although learning about the environment is certainly an important aspect of this educational tradition. Students prepare for adult civic responsibility by practicing it in the world around them. In outdoor education, students learn how to identify problems as well as how to work with government and civic groups in formulating and implementing solutions.
Students become active participants in the democratic process, rather than simply passive observers.
Experiential learning has continued to gain advocates over the decades. Basically, it is learning by doing. A resource list at the end of this Digest provides contact information for several organizations that can provide resources for interested educators and youth leaders. Adventure education usually takes place outdoors, often in wilderness areas, and aims to teach environmental awareness and build self-confidence through activities that include a certain amount of stress or risk such as rock climbing, ropes courses, and other carefully planned activities. Teachers or other adults interested in this approach require intensive training, usually involving special certification.