Announcing $1 Million Grant to Support Outdoor School

Gray Family Foundation is proud to announce our largest gift to date—one that we have made to ensure outdoor school is, and continues to be, a transformative experience for every student in Oregon.

We believe outdoor school is an integral part of children’s education. To help ensure the future of this essential program, the foundation has awarded Friends of Outdoor School a $1 million unrestricted gift that will support Friends’ capacity-building and advocacy efforts. Oregon Community Foundation will manage the funds in trust for the nonprofit over the course of the next 10 years.

What does this gift mean for outdoor school students?

The benefits of outdoor education are well-documented, but outdoor school programs in Oregon have largely been built by and for white, able-bodied, English-speaking students. Activities have not always been accessible to students from lower-income families and those from marginalized backgrounds.

In 2016, Oregon voters passed Measure 99: Outdoor School for All to reduce inequity in access. Starting in 2017, the state began funding outdoor school through lottery revenue. The passage of this voter initiative was a huge victory—creating new opportunities as well as new challenges.

During the 2021-22 school year, close to 50,000 students in grades 5-7 have signed up to attend an outdoor school program—60% more than in 2016—and an additional 2,500-3,000 high school students will serve as leaders. More than a dozen new outdoor school programs have started up across the state since 2017 or have expanded significantly to serve this increased demand.

But the surge in participants is only part of the story. Many programs have now
expanded from three days to a full school week. And individual school programs,
school districts, and alumni have all come together, with the help of Friends, to make
these educational programs more inclusive, more welcoming, and more accessible.