"Outdoor school gives Washington students the chance to step away from screens, learn outdoors, build confidence and relationships, and support their mental health and well-being.
Washington has already built an incredible network to provide these experiences. But without public funding, access increasingly depends on what individual schools and families can afford.
Please support restoring sustainable state funding so we can protect what Washington has built and make sure every student — regardless of income or ZIP code — has the opportunity to participate."
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS
Your Voice Matters
Washington lawmakers need to hear why outdoor school matters — and what students and communities stand to lose without sustainable public funding.
Outdoor education gives young people valuable time away from screens and everyday pressures to learn, connect, build confidence, and strengthen their mental health and well-being. Washington's previous investment helped make those experiences available to students regardless of where they live or what their families can afford.
Now that state funding has been eliminated, that access — and the statewide outdoor education network built to provide it — is at risk.
Your legislators need to hear why protecting it matters to you and your community.
What should I say?
You don't need to be an expert. Tell your legislators who you are, where you're from, your connection to outdoor education, and why you want them to support restoring sustainable state funding. Here are a few points you can use:
Outdoor school supports healthier, more connected kids. Time outdoors gives students a chance to step away from screens and everyday pressures, build confidence and independence, strengthen friendships and social skills, and experience the mental health and emotional benefits of learning and connecting in nature.
Every student should have that opportunity. State investment helped make outdoor school accessible to students whose families and schools otherwise could not afford it — particularly students in rural, Tribal, low-income, and historically underserved communities.
Without public funding, access increasingly depends on ability to pay. Schools may be forced to shorten programs, shift costs to families, fundraise, or stop participating altogether. Outdoor school should not become an opportunity available only to students whose families or schools can afford it.
Washington has already built the infrastructure. Years of public and private investment have created a statewide network of outdoor schools, trained educators and staff, facilities, school partnerships, and programs ready to serve Washington students.
We have an opportunity to protect that investment. Much of the network remains in place and schools continue to want these experiences for their students. Restoring sustainable funding can preserve what Washington has built while expanding equitable access to the students who need it most.
A simple message works:
STAY INFORMED. STAY INVOLVED.
Every Washington student deserves the opportunity to learn, connect, and thrive outdoors.
We can protect the statewide network of outdoor schools, educators, facilities, and partnerships Washington has spent years building. We can restore equitable access so these opportunities don't depend on a family's income, a school's resources, or a student's ZIP code. And we can give more young people the chance to step away from screens, connect with each other and the natural world, and experience the educational, mental health, and social benefits of learning outdoors.
But it will take a strong statewide voice to make that happen.
Every Washington student deserves the opportunity to learn, connect, and thrive outdoors.
Stay informed about what's happening, speak up when important decisions are being made, and help us build a stronger future for outdoor education in Washington.