EDUCATE
We envision communities where outdoor experiential education is integral and frequent, teachers and students share curiosity around classroom content and the world, and deep student-teacher relationships are foundational to the learning process.
To achieve this vision, we offer tools, tips, research, and in-person and virtual professional development opportunities. We aim to help educators feel more confident using experiential teaching methods in their own classrooms and outdoor spaces.
On this page, you’ll find helpful resources from Tremont Institute and partner organizations to add to your teaching toolkit. Taking your students outside can feel daunting, but with the right routines, patience, and practice, you and your students can have transformative experiences in the natural world, just outside your classroom door!
IN YOUR SCHOOLYARD
Become Community Scientists with iScience
In-Person – Grades 5-8 – Free
Give your students first-hand experience as community scientists as they learn about biodiversity. Sponsored by Discover Life in America and TVA, participating students and teachers create All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories in their own schoolyards, using iNaturalist to collect real scientific data about local plants, animals, and other forms of life. Participating teachers receive material support and are expected to meet minimal program requirements. Learn more.
Learn from Smokies Rangers
Virtual – Pre-K-Grade 12 – Free
Join a Smokies Ranger for a hands-on, virtual learning experience designed to introduce your students to the wonders of the Smokies! Connect directly to the park through real-time distance learning programs. Programming takes place from December through February. To request a virtual program, please email Jessie Snow. Learn more.
Experience Weekly Wonder
Virtual – All Ages – Free
Weekly Wonder is a video series designed to be accessible for learners of all ages. These short guided explorations will ignite your students’ curiosity and help them connect with the natural world – no expensive gear or previous experience necessary! We suggest watching one per week, but all videos and teacher guides are available for your use at any time. Get started.
IN THE NATIONAL PARK
Live and Learn in the Smokies
In-Person – Grades 4 Through College – Scholarships & Financial Aid Available
At Tremont, education takes on an immersive form, stepping beyond conventional boundaries of the classroom to ignite a cascade of inquiries. This distinctive approach involves residential trips spanning 3 to 5 days, during which students become inhabitants and explorers of the national park. Students not only gain a deeper understanding of standards-aligned academic concepts, but also develop critical thinking skills, personal resilience, and a sense of stewardship for the environment. Learn more.
Download the Schoolyards as Classrooms Playbook Sampler
Outdoor learning engages students, enhances concept retention, and fosters curiosity—but where do you start? The Schoolyards as Classrooms Playbook Sampler is your introduction to hands-on, nature-based activities that fit seamlessly into any subject area.
What’s Inside the Playbook Sampler?
- Ready-to-Use Activities – Engage students with inquiry-based learning in your schoolyard
- Cross-Curricular Connections – Science, math, literacy, and social-emotional learning
- Reflection & Exploration Tools – Build observation, problem-solving, and collaboration skills
- Practical Teaching Tips – Manage outdoor learning with confidence
Explore Careers in the Smokies
Careers in the Smokies is an interactive, student-friendly guide that helps learners explore how their interests, skills, and love of the natural world can lead to meaningful careers connected to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This resource goes beyond job titles. It invites users to reflect on what they enjoy learning, how they like to work, and the kinds of problems they want to help solve. From there, it introduces a wide range of career paths, including science and research, education, conservation, skilled trades, communications, operations, and leadership roles with the National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, and Discover Life in America.
Each career profile highlights real-world responsibilities, education and training pathways, and the skills that matter most. Whether you’re preparing for a career fair, planning a lesson, or exploring possibilities on your own, this guide is a great place to start.
Download Careers in the Smokies to explore pathways and imagine your future in the Smokies.
