How we have changed education towards an outdoor approach in the Czech Republic – true story!

Today’s children spend too much time in front of all their screens”, said an alarming voice.  

“They no longer play outdoors as we used to”, said a critical second one. 

“And the curriculum insists that they remember many more things than ever before, which makes them sit even more at home doing their homework”, added the third, and sighed. 

“No way!” said Justina, and she began home schooling her small herd (4 children) outdoors. And because she was a teacher and eventually became a great photographer, AND she desired to improve the world, she set up a program for outdoor learning for Czech teachers. They were impressed and began going out, enthusiastic to try her unique lessons. 

Her husband Petr was able to back her up with scientific research on the benefits of outdoor learning for kids. It was exactly what the teachers needed to persuade the headteachers, the parents and the colleagues that they are doing very useful job letting children run during the math lessons. 

Together – her big heart, burning enthusiasm and infinite ideas, along with his fantastic computer brain – they made a great effort to change the mindset of Czech educators.  

The Czech version of Lessons in Grass began with a modest webpage and a Facebook site, which soon had a few thousand followers. We even organized an Outdoor teaching Festival. Then the Covid years came and the number of followers multiplied, as teaching outdoors was sometimes the only possibility available, and no one was sure how to do it.  

Besides that, we’ve published handbooks on how to teach outdoors, we’ve led workshops all over the country and now we are giving video courses (as our capacity isn’t big enough to allow us to show up everywhere). We continue on the way to change the mindset of everybody around education. 

We’ve been working on spreading of the outdoor learning for five years now, and the results are:  

• Teachers started to THINK about outdoor learning – it has become the “new normal”;  

• Teachers who go teaching outdoors are not considered weird, completely the opposite, they are now respected specialists, who can mentor others how to go out;  
• We have gone on social media where examples of outdoor learning, photos of content children learning outdoors can easily be spread and ignite the flame of love for outdoor learning within more and more teachers;  
• We show that most teaching aids can be inexpensive, even made by kids – this is no longer an obstacle;  
• We have printed the Czech version of our lesson plans, so every teacher can have their hard copy at hand;  
• They visit our websites whenever they need more inspiration (may it be mathematics, languages, arts, physics, …);  

• There are even now schools focused on outdoor education – indeed it is their “added value” – there are now parents searching for such kind of schools because previously their children attended forest kindergartens;  
• We are aware that there is something of a trap named “outdoor classroom” – It is important to continue explaining why this isn’t equal to the outdoor learning concept which is healthier and more beneficial than “sitting classes”, even if they are outdoors;  
• There is much to learn in the current curriculum: we are constantly showing that almost everything can be taught outdoors and the kids are happier if doing so – and the teachers recognize it.  

We are on a mission to change education everywhere else too. There is a growing worldwide movement backed by Children and Nature Network which focuses on greening school grounds and outdoor learning for the sake of today’s children’s health. We are a proud part of it, offering educators all over the world the resources they need to teach outdoors. Watch a short video where we explain our approach at https://lessonsingrass.com/video/. 

We believe that if we reconnect our children with nature, the life on our planet will be more sustainable and much happier. 

Join us, it is fun!