Colorado Parks & Wildlife Schools & Outdoor Learning Environments (SOLE)

Location: Colorado, statewide

Report Year: 2017-18

Approach: Mixed-methods; elementary youth photo-elicitation, focus groups, teacher surveys, interviews 

Link to evaluation report 

Background:

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s SOLE program was established initially as a pilot program to connect kids and their families to the outdoors. The program aimed to connect elementary students across Colorado’s Front Range with hands-on, experiential learning at various State Parks, public lands and historical spaces. The program partnered with program providers and schools to schedule up to three field trips per school year, with both field trips and transportation fully funded by grant funding from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The program is now in its eighth year (est. 2013) and serves over 50 schools across the state.

What worked:

CPW staff wanted to be able to tell the story of impact that this program offered to participating youth, including, but not limited to, their academic engagement. By using multiple data sources from teachers (surveys and interviews) and youth voice via photo-elicitation and focus-groups, CPW was able to get a broader understanding of experience, reach and impact. Data visualization was key in communicating this story to a broader audience as well, while the youth voice and perspective helped highlight what remained salient and relevant to the students.