EIN: 54-0840089
Mission Statement
Arlington Outdoor Education Association creates opportunities for all Arlington Public School students to experience hands-on STEM outdoor education that extends traditional classroom by conserving undeveloped land and building inspiring learning facilities.
Program Summary
The Outdoor Lab offers over 9,000 Arlington students annually exceptional experiential learning and the opportunity to apply science in the real world. As a longstanding partnership between the Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA) and Arlington Public Schools (APS), AOEA stewards the land and operates facilities while APS provides teachers, educational content, and transportation.
As an all-volunteer organization, AOEA is committed to supporting experiential environmental learning. This includes programming during the academic year for all Arlington Public Students in 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades, in addition to some high school students. We also support three weeks of summer camp. Academic and recreational activities made possible by the Arlington Outdoor Education Association include boating, hiking, animal observation, fishing, science experiments, tent camping, and dark-sky observations. Many times, experiences at the Outdoor Lab are the first time that participating youth have run in a meadow, climbed a mountain, hiked beside a stream, or fished in a pond.
Impact Statement
Each year, students from all of Arlington’s twenty-four elementary schools, five middle schools, and five high schools visit the 226-acre Outdoor Lab to put their book learning into action. Quite literally, the AOEA provides an outdoor classroom where students apply chemistry, biology, and physics in real-world ways. Perhaps students learned about clean, healthy water from a video in their school classroom. But at the Lab, they wade in the stream, collect water samples, and examine the small aquatic life under a microscope to determine if the stream is healthy. This is an unmatched opportunity for curious young minds. All third and seventh graders, in addition to some high school students, participate in day trips and all fifth graders have the opportunity for a special overnight visit.
Arlington Outdoor Education Association believes that learning in a natural classroom is a vital part of the Arlington Public School curriculum. We are committed to the ongoing stewardship of this property for generations of students to come. As we look to the future, we envision
modernized facilities and a growing commitment to conservation to ensure outstanding educational and social-emotional growth opportunities remain available for all Arlington students.
What ways can the public get involved?
Volunteers help maintain trails, buildings, and structures at the Outdoor Lab. They also enhance and/or preserve our natural environment by removing invasive species, improving drainage, and planting native plants. Additionally, volunteers help run our twice-yearly Open Houses. We welcome small groups to volunteer together, like scouting troops or nature-related organizations.
How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?
Your gift to AOEA strengthens the natural environment for students to explore applied science:
Together, we ensure that students have access to this natural classroom as an extension of their traditional learning.
Information provided March 2025