Pupil instruction: outdoor learning., the official text

An act to add Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 51805) to Chapter 5 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education in this state. Under this system, local educational agencies throughout the state provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and existing law establishes courses of study for those pupils.
This bill would encourage school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to integrate outdoor learning into standards-aligned instruction across all grades and subject areas, as provided.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Education under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns the department numerous duties relating to the governance and funding of local educational agencies.
This bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2028, to curate and maintain on its internet website resources for educators on outdoor learning. The bill would also encourage the department, in carrying out these provisions, to consult with county offices of education, classroom educators, tribal partners, mental and physical health professionals and researchers, environmental literacy experts, and community organizations with experience in outdoor learning. The bill would authorize the department to provide resources to address the particular needs of each local educational agency. The bill would authorize the department to accept voluntary contributions to be deposited into the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Account, which the bill would create in the State Treasury, to fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the costs of these provisions.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Act of 2026.

SEC. 2.
Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 51805) is added to Chapter 5 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:
9.5.
Outdoor Learning51805.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) Senate Bill 720 of the 2017–18 Regular Session established environmental literacy as a statewide priority. It affirmed that all pupils should have equitable access to learning experiences that prepare them to understand and address environmental challenges.
(2) Outdoor learning, the regular, structured instructional activities that take place in outdoor environments, strengthens environmental literacy and overall academic achievement, improves pupil engagement, improves mental and physical health, deepens connections to local communities and ecosystems, and prepares pupils for science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and natural resource-related careers.
(3) Pupils who are unduplicated, as defined in Section 42238.02, live in low-income communities, or live in communities disproportionately burdened by pollution or other environmental harms often have the least access to safe, developmentally appropriate outdoor learning environments, and these are the same pupils who can benefit most from these experiences.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to extend the environmental literacy foundation established by Senate Bill 720 of the 2017–18 Regular Session by clarifying that outdoor learning is an effective instructional method and by providing statewide resources and support to ensure equitable access for all pupils, beginning with those with the greatest need.

51805.2.
For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Environmental literacy” means the understanding of, and ability to, apply the environmental principles and concepts developed pursuant to Section 71301 of the Public Resources Code.
(b) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
(c) “Outdoor learning” means instructional activities occurring in outdoor settings, including, but not limited to, schoolyards, gardens, campuses, green spaces, community spaces, local parks, public lands, residential outdoor schools, outdoor environmental education facilities, coastal and watershed areas, and other natural or built outdoor environments.

51805.4.
(a) Outdoor learning is hereby recognized as an effective and developmentally appropriate instructional method that improves mental and physical health, environmental literacy, climate resilience, student engagement, attention and concentration, and whole-child development.
(b) Local educational agencies are encouraged to integrate outdoor learning into standards-aligned instruction across all grades and subject areas, including, but not limited to, science, history-social science, mathematics, English language arts, health, physical education, and visual and performing arts.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to mandate a specific curriculum.

51805.6.
(a) On or before July 1, 2028, the department shall curate and maintain on its internet website resources for educators on outdoor learning.
(b) The resources curated and maintained pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) Best practices for delivering standards-aligned instruction in outdoor settings.
(2) Safety and risk management considerations.
(3) Strategies to ensure equitable access for unduplicated pupils, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02, pupils with disabilities, and pupils from historically underserved communities.
(4) Models and approaches for enhancing outdoor learning environments on schoolsites and on offsite field trips.
(5) Strategies for partnering with community-based organizations, park agencies, tribes, and outdoor education providers.
(c) In carrying out this section, the department is encouraged to consult with county offices of education, classroom educators, tribal partners, mental and physical health professionals and researchers, environmental literacy experts, and community organizations with experience in outdoor learning, and the department may collaborate with nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and other entities with demonstrated expertise in environmental literacy and outdoor learning to support the curation, maintenance, and dissemination of the resources curated and maintained pursuant to subdivision (a).
(d) (1) The department may provide resources to address the particular needs of each local educational agency, including professional development for teachers, transportation, contract fees for community-based organizations and residential outdoor schools, equipment, instructional materials, and outdoor classroom furniture.
(2) Resources provided pursuant to paragraph (1) shall align with the resources curated and maintained pursuant to subdivision (a).
(e) The department may accept voluntary contributions, in cash or in-kind, to pay for the costs of implementation of this section. These private donations shall be deposited into the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Account, which is hereby created in the State Treasury, in which moneys in the fund shall be available to the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of implementing this section.