Outdoor & Adventure Learning
Lake Tahoe School's outdoor education program reflects a scaffolded approach to learning outside the classroom and to supporting the whole child—cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally—while taking full advantage of Lake Tahoe School's natural setting and instilling curiosity about places beyond home. Our faculty and staff provide thoughtful learning experiences in diverse locations around the Lake Tahoe region, gradually venturing to new terrain and eventually as far as Central America.
In the PreK Program, our youngest Bobcats begin their outdoor education through exploration and connection with nature in the surrounding area. This starts as nature walks through the local forest along the creek, collecting leaves and pinecones, observing the way things change from season to season, and making connections to their weekly themes. As students in PreK are more comfortable navigating the familiar walk, trips to Sand Harbor, Spooner Lake, and Mount Rose are added to their outdoor experiences. Students develop fine and gross motor skills when digging, building, and balancing in nature, as well as safety skills such as following multi-step directions, navigating risk-taking situations, and working cooperatively along the way.
Students in grades K-2 expand their sphere of exploration by becoming active, curious citizens of their local community. They begin with short, curriculum-aligned trips to local institutions like the public library, fire station, and Farmer’s Market, building familiarity with community resources. As they grow in confidence, outdoor exploration expands to places like Tahoe XC and local nature preserves. The program culminates with the Second-Grade Campout in the school's backyard. Through these experiences, students develop foundational observation skills, practice essential group cooperation on trails and in public, and cultivate independence through tasks like packing their own gear and participating in shared responsibilities.
In grades 3-5, students move beyond day trips to learn the foundational skills necessary for multi-day expeditions. They begin by participating in local service-learning projects and more challenging day hikes, integrating academic subjects like history and science with the environment. The program expands to multi-day, overnight camping experiences at locations such as Coloma and the Marin Headlands. Through these challenges, students develop sophisticated environmental literacy (including Leave No Trace principles), practice leadership and followership, and build grit and self-reliance by setting up camp and navigating group challenges outside of their familiar routine.
The Middle School program serves as the culmination of our outdoor education, challenging students to apply their knowledge as stewards of the environment and global citizens. Learning begins locally, deepening their understanding of the Tahoe Basin's ecosystems, geology, and environmental challenges through fieldwork and research, as well as their advisory workshops. They then extend this learning on multi-day expeditions to diverse locations, including Point Reyes, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, building up to the Washington DC trip in 7th grade and the capstone international service learning trip to Costa Rica in 8th grade. These extended trips focus on establishing leadership and teaching peer-to-peer skills, building cross-cultural competence and independent critical thinking, and fostering the lifelong outdoor confidence necessary to plan and execute their own future adventures.