Planting Change: Jessica Harvey Builds a Culture of Outdoor Learning
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At Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls, Maine, second-grade teacher Jessica Harvey has turned outdoor learning into a movement that reaches across her entire school. With support from Teach ME Outside(opens in a new tab)’s Teaching Outside In Maine 101 Guidebook, she and her colleagues have built a culture that reaches across the school and into the wider community.
The Spark: Getting Everyone Outside
Jessica’s outdoor teaching journey began in 2023, when she and three other educators in her district attended a conference at the Ecology School. Together, they created the “Get Everyone Outside” (GEO) initiative.
At first, GEO was informal. Teachers met after school or at local breweries to swap ideas and talk through challenges. The collaboration was exciting, but without structure it was hard to picture how the work might grow.
The Turning Point: Discovering TMO
That structure came when Jessica attended a Building a Culture workshop run by Teach ME Outside and received the guidebook titled Teaching Outside in Maine 101: An Educator’s Guidebook for Building a Culture of Teaching Outside, which is a resource that helps educators create a shared practice of outdoor learning through conversations, tools, and strategies that turn inspiration into action.
“I had been going outside every day, but I was the only one doing it regularly,” she said. “At the workshop, the guidebook gave me a vision and a plan. I realized I didn’t have to do this alone. I could invite others to build a team with me.”
The guidebook’s ready-made agendas and clear steps gave Jessica the confidence to take GEO to the next level. She emailed her colleagues: I have this vision. Will you take this ride with me? Her colleagues didn’t hesitate. What began as her vision became something they would grow together.
A Team That Changed Everything
Jessica soon gathered four Elm Street colleagues, including her colleague Nichole. With GEO as the spark and TMO as the roadmap, the group made outdoor learning a regular and intentional part of the school day.
“Just having a team and people to lean on, be inspired by, and encourage each other has changed my teaching,” Jessica shared.
The team began inviting maintenance staff, curriculum coordinators, and other district leaders into their planning. Those conversations created new connections, built support, and even led to funding opportunities.
Their work was recognized in 2025 when Elm Street was named Maine Environmental Education Association’s School of the Year(opens in a new tab). Jessica and Nicole were the ones nominated, but when the school won, Jessica’s first response was: “Can I bring my team?” For her, the award only mattered if everyone who contributed was honored.
Outdoor Learning in Action
Jessica’s classroom shows what outdoor learning can look like when it becomes part of everyday routines.
“I start every day with a morning meeting outside. That’s sacred now,” she said. “We’re on a 20-day streak of outdoor learning. My goal is 100 days this year, not counting recess.”
She and her grade level teaching partner Sophia also bring students into the school garden to connect math and science with real-world experiences. Last year, her class planted radishes, using measurement and arrays to plan the beds. When it came time to harvest, students sampled what they had grown. Some loved the sharp flavor, others were startled by the spice, but all of them remembered it. “It wasn’t in the curriculum,” Jessica said, “but it was unforgettable.”
Sharing the Story Beyond Elm Street
The same mindset shaped Jessica’s experience this summer at the Every Teacher a Leader Conference, where she co-presented alongside Teach ME Outside staff. Though surprised at first to be invited, she leaned on advice she received years earlier when she was nominated as Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year in 2021(opens in a new tab). At the time, Jessica felt hesitant about opting in to the process, but after sharing her reservations with her principal, she was encouraged to think of it differently: it wasn’t just about her, it was about putting Elm Street School on the map. That reminder continues to guide her as she shares Elm Street’s story today.
At Elm Street, outdoor learning has become a collective effort. From a “Leave No Trace” skit at a school assembly to daily routines in the garden, Jessica and her team show what’s possible when educators work together with a common purpose, keeping the focus on colleagues, students, and the wider community.
Start Your Outdoor Learning Journey
Join a supportive network of educators and see how small steps can lead to big change. Learn about upcoming Teach ME Outside workshops(opens in a new tab) and explore the Teaching Outside in Maine 101: Building a Culture Guidebook(opens in a new tab) and find more resources for teaching outside(opens in a new tab).