Marilyn Thompson and Linda Burnett found success in teaching students at the Mountain School at Winhall outdoors after participating in a Project Learning Tree facilitator training at Seyon Lodge State Park in 2010. Since then they trained all their colleagues at the school in PLT and made the school grounds into an effective outdoor classroom.
“I was attracted to PLT because we have a large outside space at our school that was not used for teaching. I saw so much opportunity for outside learning and PLT seemed like a great fit for our needs.
I was not disappointed.” said Marilyn Thompson after training her fellow teachers in PLT. The activities in the Prek-8th grade PLT guide gave all teachers at the school the tools they needed to share the natural world with their students and reach their curriculum goals through effective outdoor learning.
This small private school in southern Vermont became so engaged in outside learning and studying trees that the entire school participated in the Arbor Day Growing Works of Art contest every year since, fielding contest winners and lots of high quality artwork and writing. Students continue to be engaged in outside activities at the school, work with PLT has been expanding into other areas, including a Learn about Food and Farming Project connecting children to the food they eat. There is so much that PLT can provide and these two teachers used it as a tool to transform this school.