The presenter's of this proposed session have developed a state award winning Outdoor Education Center at Ward Elementary School in Fleming County, Kentucky. Ward Elementary is located in rural Northern Kentucky.

The development of Outdoor Classrooms as a tool for Inquiry-based education is a viable option for today's schools. The developmental process, beginning at site selection and ending in integrated cross-disciplinary curricula is both involved and rewarding. This session will discuss various processes and pitfalls, and will present a successful sequence from planning through implementation.

The site has been developed with trails, bridges, ponds and a shelter for group instruction. A power-point presentation will guide the participants through the development phase, the curriculum development phase, the teacher and teacher aid in-service and the actual implementation of the outdoor center into the existing school curriculum.

Problems and stumbling blocks will be addressed along with solutions to them so that the center can flourish in the community. Other topics addressed would include: size of site, securing financial support, actual construction, development of activities that can be used, teacher training, teacher aide training and securing the future of the site.