The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking outdoor learning stories from educators, administrators, and school staff to share during National Environmental Education Week from April 20-24, 2026.
Have you used the great outdoors as a classroom for your students recently? Have your students engaged with nature as part of their learning? Whether you and your students have explored local trails or waterways, cultivated school gardens, participated in farming or aquaculture projects, collected climate data, engaged in hands-on environmental explorations, and more—we want to hear from you!
The Maine DOE plans to share selected submissions on our social media platforms and in the Maine DOE Newsroom throughout National Environmental Education Week. Your story could inspire fellow educators by showcasing the many outdoor learning opportunities across our state and spotlighting your students’ curiosity, stewardship, and connection to the natural world.
Please consider sharing an outdoor learning highlight from your school by submitting a story here!
Throughout the last several years, the Maine DOE has worked to advance outdoor and environmental education through a wide range of programs, including the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative (MOLI), Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV), and the Climate Education Professional Development Grant Program. The Maine DOE continues to champion outdoor and environmental education and the powerful impact it can have on students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and academic learning.
With questions and to share pictures/videos to accompany your story, please contact Teddy Lyman, Maine DOE Climate Education Specialist, at theodore.lyman@maine.gov. Please ensure that any media submitted has appropriate media-release permissions.
Maine DOE Newsroom 