The Minnesota Senate passed with a 40-27 vote SF 3887, the omnibus Environment and Natural Resources supplemental budget bill, authored by Sen. Foung Hawj, on May 7, 2024, it was announced last week by Outdoor School For All Minnesota.  Sen. Hawj’s bill included a $2 million appropriation to establish an Outdoor School For All grant program to be administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to support accredited outdoor school providers.

The appropriation, originally introduced by Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) in SF 3347, will increase the current number of Minnesota school children from grades four through eight who will experience experiential learning in an outdoor setting at an accredited Residential Environmental Learning Center (RELC).  Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) also introduced the same bill in the Senate.

The states of Oregon, Washington, and Maine already have statewide outdoor education programs for young people and have achieved great success.

Unprecedented bi-partisan support among Minnesota legislators is key to the momentum advancing the Minnesota Outdoor School for All. Thirty-nine DFLers and 32 Republicans have signed onto four companion bills in the Senate and House. The bipartisan bills were introduced by Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown), Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona), Rep. Kristi Pursell (DFL-Northfield) and Rep. Dean Urdahl (R-Grove City). Additionally, a number of county boards have passed resolutions in favor of the legislation.

A delegation of enthusiastic supporters from around Minnesota traveled to the State Capitol on April 9 to support the legislation at a hearing before the Senate Environmental, Climate, and Legacy Committee.

The chief author of the Senate version of the legislation (SF 3347), Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL, District 3, of Hermantown) led off testimony in support of the Outdoor School for All. The father of a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, Senator Hauschild said, “Far too many kids are spending more and more time indoors…hours and hours a day in front of screens.” He explained, “Many kids are suffering from increased mental health concerns, physical well-being issues, and other adverse effects because of being deprived of outdoor educational opportunities.” He said the opportunity to experience an accredited overnight outdoor school for a week can stimulate a lifelong appreciation of the outdoors. Senator Hauschild summed it up simply during his testimony “This bill combines Minnesota’s two greatest assets, our youth and our outdoors”.

Senator Hauschild took particular note of the opportunity for underserved students, including those with disabilities, to benefit from the Outdoor School for All. Committee Chair Hawj observed that he looks favorably on the multicultural opportunities inherent in the legislation.

Peter Smerud, Director of the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, testified the legislation is “a very Minnesota thing.” Thanking Senator Jeremy Miller (Republican, District 26, of Winona) for being a leading author of the legislation, Smerud hailed the “tremendous bi-partisan support” and observed, “The outdoor ethic for our children is not a partisan issue in Minnesota.” He believes the legislation will help reverse the trend of “childhood having been turned indoors” from decades ago when children had much more interaction with outdoor environments.

Following the testimony, Senator Kelly Morrison (DFL, District 45, of Deephaven), a member of the committee, endorsed the bill with enthusiasm: “I love this bill so much!” She asserted that “nature deficit disorder is real.” As a physician, Senator Morrison explained that “lack of access to the natural world has a demonstrable impact on the mental health of children.” She added that participating in Outdoor School for All programs may also lead young people to become conservationists as adults. The next step for this bill is a move into conference committee. 

Outdoor School For All Minnesota is a coalition of the state’s five accredited, overnight Outdoor Schools, Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, Long Lake Conservation Center in Palisade, Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone and Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland.

An Outdoor School program is a multi-day, accredited overnight experience where students have the opportunities to participate in outdoor-based learning activities in outdoor recreation, natural science, and cultural history.  Outdoor School program providers work with partnering school groups to meet curriculum goals and state academic standards.