Outdoor Learning

Gatewood's outdoor classrooms and greenhouse lab space will spark your child's curiosity, exploration, and excitement to learn.

Open your child up to the world!

Gatewood Elementary is an environmentally-focused elementary school that heavily utilizes learning in outdoor classrooms where students develop critical-thinking skills, increase school engagement, and develop connections with the natural world. Students may learn to care for resident goats and chickens, work with the school’s on-site naturalist to examine pond water under microscopes, harvest maple syrup, and grow plants and flowers in our state-of-the-art greenhouse. 

You can expect kindergarteners and first graders to spend 50% of their school day outside, and older students to participate in several outdoor learning activities each week.

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At Gatewood, we are an inclusive community that values diversity and each student’s unique story. We use inquiry and environmental education to advocate for social change and care for our world.

Benefits of Outdoor Learning

"Having our child be able to explore the natural world outside with inquiry led teaching is magical. " - Gatewood Parent
 

Outdoor Learning in Action

Here are just some of the ways Gatewood students are learning in nature.
Ice Fishing
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Visited Gale Woods Farm
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Gatewood Outdoor learning in the news

A Minnesota kindergarten program takes learning outside (MPR

a teacher teaches to a class outside