Outdoor Lab (Arlington Outdoor Education Association)

EIN: 54-0840089

Mission Statement

Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA) creates opportunities for all Arlington Public School (APS) students to experience hands-on STEM outdoor education that extends traditional classroom opportunities.  As an all-volunteer organization, AOEA is committed to supporting experiential environmental learning by conserving undeveloped land and building inspiring learning facilities. 

Program Summary

The Phoebe Hall Knipling Outdoor Laboratory – known to generations of students simply as the Outdoor Lab – is a unique educational resource for students in Arlington Public Schools (APS). At the Lab, students learn science in an outdoor classroom and have experiences in nature that are uncommon in our urban community. These opportunities are possible through a partnership between the Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA), a nonprofit organization which owns and maintains the 313-acre property, Animal Lab classroom building and other facilities, and APS.  

Over 8,700 APS students participated in hands-on environmental education and applied STEM learning at the Lab during the 2024-25 school year. 
Annually 26 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 6 high schools send students to the Outdoor Lab. Specialized educational programs, including the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program, also have annual field trips.
All students in 3rd and 7th grades have the opportunity for day field trips and all 5th graders have the opportunity for an overnight or two-day trip. 

The Lab also hosts three weeks of summer camp for upper elementary and middle school grades, recruiting high schoolers to serve as junior counselors.

Impact Statement

The AOEA-APS partnership allows classroom education to expand into the great outdoors. This immersion supports a variety of learning styles as well as helps build social-emotional skills. In alignment with Virginia science education standards, lesson plans are honed by Lab staff and classroom teachers together.

Third graders investigate the relationships between plants and animals in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. They learn that biology is all around them in the “real” world.
Fifth grade students understand engineering concepts with a creek-based water wheel, land conservation while hiking mountain trails, and dark-sky observations during their overnights.
Seventh graders navigate the Lab property with a focus on ecology – from leaf identification to decomposition – as they move between learning stations. In using an eco-system approach, students can better understand the interrelationship between living creatures and habitat.
High school students have tailored experiences based on grade and subject matter, including AP biology and AP environmental science classes.

This educational programming is combined with opportunities to boat on the pond, hike a mountain trail or catch fish. For many APS students, a trip to the Lab represents the first time they have experienced these activities or explored nature in an up-close way. 

What ways can the public get involved?

Volunteers help maintain trails and resources 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 guide visitors at 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 Lab facilities and natural environment for students to explore applied science:

Maintaining and modernizing educational facilities, including the Cottage that houses the kitchen, dining area and offices and the Animal Lab that houses turtles, snakes, and other animals so students have interactive experiences, no matter the weather.
Conserving wildlife and habitat, including the removal of invasive species, ensuring that native plants and animals thrive.
Protecting our watershed and clean water sources.

Together, we ensure that students have access to this natural classroom as an extension of their traditional learning.

Information provided March 2026