Encouraging curiosity, creative thinking, and exploration.
Our staff are experienced educators who believe that positive experiences in nature will lead to a desire for lifelong learning.
People learn best from personal experience, and kids are no different. We structure our youth programs to encourage curiosity, creative thinking, and exploration. Our staff are experienced educators who believe that positive experiences in nature will lead to a desire for lifelong learning. We aspire to inspire actions and choices that are mindful of the effects on others, including people (both present and absent) and other organisms. We model respect for each other and other living things, and that includes not presenting the animals we find in a manner that will cause stress to them or our participants.
At OEA, we understand that not everyone is a nature enthusiast, and even those who are have things that give them heebie-jeebies. We allow program participants to come to nature from their own starting point, and we never pressure anyone into experiences with which they are really uncomfortable. Providing knowledge and experiences that allow growth, we gently push comfort zones, encouraging participants to acknowledge and understand their fears and discomforts.
Personalized Outdoor Science Experience
Are you looking for an outdoor experience customized to meet the needs of your group? Whether it is an adult group of friends looking to learn a little more about the natural world or a group of kids of any age who want a little guided outdoor time we have naturalist educators ready to create a nature enrichment opportunity for you. Contact us to design your nature experience!
Outdoor Camps – Ages 5-12
Camps focus on teaching outdoor science through games and guided inquiry, allowing each participant to come to nature on their own terms. Our staff have a broad range of knowledge about the natural world, and are always looking for teachable moments to engage learners and to cultivate a sense of wonder and curiosity. Camps typically start the last week of June and run through the third week of August.
Summer Day Camps
Do your kids love spending time outdoors, exploring nature; catching frogs, snakes, and bugs; building forts; playing games, and getting dirty? Then an Outdoor Adventure Day Camp is the camp for them. OEA checks the school calendars for all Yamhill County School Districts and schedules adventures on many teacher-in-service days and over spring break.
No School Adventures – Ages 5-12
Want your child to do something fun with their No School Day? Look here for outdoor adventures to keep them learning when they’re not in school.
OEA checks the school calendars for all Yamhill County School Districts and schedules adventures on many teacher-in-service days. We try to hold those adventures at parks near the communities affected by the no-school day.
Don’t see a date listed for your community? Please contact us to request it; if we can get enough kids (five to sixteen individuals), we’d be happy to pull together a program for you.
Outdoor Science Explorers after-school and home-school programs
Junior Naturalist Adventures ages 12-15
This program is perfect for the young teen who loves the camp experience and wants to share that love with younger kids while gaining some leadership experience. Jr Naturalists will participate in a camp-like training day where they will learn about local ecology, play and lead camp games, and build leadership skills. Following the training day a select few will be invited to help us for a week of summer camp.
