Trail Project Connects Local Elementary Students with Nature

On May 12, Taylor’s Education Department hosted 130 Wes Del third and fifth graders and 120 Eastbrook third and fourth graders on Taylor’s campus for the annual Outdoor Education Experience. This was the fifth year that junior Elementary Education students have planned and directed this Outdoor Education Experience, affectionately called the Trail Project.

Dr. Shelly Engle, Director of Teacher Education and Assistant Professor of Education, gave her Science and Social Studies Methods classes the responsibility of creating a program to get Eastbrook South students out and exploring nature. Following Indiana academic standards, Elementary Education students designed lessons for elementary students before, after, and at the trail. Lessons centered on the tenets of service-learning, outdoor education, and place-based education. This included videos for Eastbrook South and Wes Del Elementary teachers to play in class before the field trip to get students excited about the outing. Once on campus, Elementary Education juniors took the students to different stations around campus where they explored different aspects of science integrated with social studies.

“The Trail Project has been a very impactful opportunity to apply everything we have learned about teaching science this semester,” junior Ady Montgomery said. “I have enjoyed being stretched and challenged to grow through the responsibility of planning and preparing for the event.”

The Power of Outdoor Education

Sitting in a classroom all day is typical of schools in America. But is it the best way to learn? Dr. Engle explained that taking students somewhere different as a part of the learning process enhances the learning. It engages students through hands-on experiences and helps them gain a better understanding of course material. The Trail Project offers experiential learning like this and gives Taylor’s future educators the opportunity to engage students in a nontraditional way.

Senior Grace Brandon shared, “I've been grateful for the ways that this project has allowed us to apply the skills and ideas we have gained and provided an opportunity to serve the community."

“Outdoor, place-based learning creates opportunities for students to engage deeply with content through immersive, integrated experiences,” Dr. Engle said. “When students learn by exploring the world around them, science, social studies, literacy, and math become connected in meaningful ways. They are not just studying concepts in isolation—they are experiencing them firsthand while developing a deeper appreciation for God's world.”