'Outdoor School for All' grant program becomes law in Minnesota

Gov. Tim Walz signed the Minnesota Outdoor School For All act into law, establishing a statewide grant program to expand access to overnight outdoor education for students in fourth through 12th grades.

The law allocates $848,000 to support accredited residential environmental learning centers in offering multi-day, overnight experiences focused on outdoor-based learning. According to a news release, the goal is to improve educational outcomes while ensuring that all Minnesota students, regardless of background, have equitable access to nature-based learning opportunities.

The initiative was included in the environment omnibus bill passed by the Legislature on June 9.

“This law ensures that Minnesota students will have the opportunity to experience our stateʼs natural resources firsthand,” said Peter Smerud, executive director of Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota. “It supports learning environments that can improve studentsʼ academic, emotional and physical well-being.”

Millions of Minnesotans — likely during their school-age years — have spent time immersed in nature at places like the Long Lake Conservation Center in Palisade and Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack.

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All Minn. students could soon be granted free overnight outdoor experiences

Chelsey Perkins

Outdoor School For All Minnesota is advocating for the establishment of a statewide grant program to support immersive, multi-day, accredited overnight outdoor education program experiences for students in fourth through eighth grades.

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Despite decades of providing day-trip and overnight programming to youths in the state, these centers reached an average of 30% or less of all Minnesota children, according to an advocacy group that advocated for this legislation.

Outdoor School For All Minnesota pushed for the establishment of the grant program to expand the program's reach. It’s a local example of a national movement to increase access to outdoor educational opportunities for all children, no matter income or school district. Minnesota joins Oregon, Washington and Maine in launching a statewide model.

The 2025 bill passed with strong bipartisan support, with 21 authors almost evenly split between Republican and Democratic legislators.

The Outdoor School For All initiative was introduced in 2023 by Rep. Kristi Pursell, DFL-Northfield, and passed in 2025 with the original intent intact. Chief authors included Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, and Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely. Key committee chairs who advanced the legislation were Chair Sen. Foung Hawj, DFL-St. Paul, and House Co-Chairs Rep. Josh Heintzeman, R-Nisswa, and Rep. Peter Fischer, DFL-Maplewood.

“This is a good example of what happens when we set politics aside and focus on whatʼs right for kids,” Skraba stated in the release. “Whether you live in Greater Minnesota or the metro area, the outdoors is part of our heritage. Every child should have the chance to learn in it.”

Outdoor education has been linked to improved academic performance, higher graduation rates, stronger peer relationships and enhanced critical thinking skills. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children spend up to 44 hours a week on screens and fewer than 10 minutes per day engaged in unstructured outdoor play. The legislation is based on research showing time outdoors supports mental health, reduces anxiety and builds confidence.

The law was also supported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which highlighted the positive impact of outdoor learning on youth mental health.

The program will be administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. It funds the first year of implementation and lays the foundation for ongoing access to nature-based learning in the state.