Supporting Racial Equity in Outdoor Science Education Organizations

Sometimes, the most memorable and impactful learning experiences for young learners happen outdoors. Outdoor and environmental learning organizations provide highly immersive science learning field experiences for elementary, middle, and high school learners nationwide. However, previous research revealed long-standing racial inequities that negatively affect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color working at these organizations. A collaborative project from The Lawrence, Working Towards Racial Equity (WTRE), recently published a series of reports that share insights and lessons learned from working with 20 organizations from 2019 through 2024.  

“We recognize that in this moment, the value of justice, equity, and inclusion work is being questioned and attacked. Yet, this work remains imperative,” the authors said. “We hope these publications can provide a vision for the future and insights into what we have learned from those engaging deeply and authentically in the work of racial justice, equity, and inclusion.”

“One of the most profound things we’ve learned is that organizational change efforts must lead with a commitment to personal reflection and growth,” said Co-Principal Investigators Jedda Foreman and Valeria Romero. “When this happens, it builds up a collective staff community that is more able to advance change. Currently, equity work is being framed as only benefiting one group, but really, our research shows how creating an inclusive work environment benefits everyone.”

In 2019, The Lawrence, in partnership with Justice Outside, Restoring C.A.R.E., and Informing Change, received funding from the National Science Foundation (AISL Award No. 2005829) to develop a workshop series for environmental learning programs to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces. Over the course of three years, the project engaged 20 outdoor and environmental learning organizations across the country to build capacity for racially equitable work environments and elevate leadership of professionals of color. 

The work was guided by a framework entitled The Water of Systems Change (by John Kania, Mark Kramer, and Peter Senge). The framework states that when change efforts address three levels of organizations they are more likely to be successful. The structural aspect describes how an organization is set up, including its policies, practices, and resources. The relational aspect includes the relationships and connections between people at the organization, and the power dynamics involved. Finally, the mental model aspect comprises the guiding beliefs and ideologies that underlie an organization.

WTRE engaged the participating organizations in 50+ hours of virtual workshops intensively exploring topics including nonviolent communication, implicit bias, white supremacy culture, and more. Following the conclusion of the workshops, the organizations received ongoing support in their efforts to apply the framework and their learnings in their workplaces over the course of 18 months. WTRE culminated with a multi-day in-person retreat to celebrate the work and reflect on its impact.

Research and evaluation efforts focused on understanding the impact of the model and what factors influenced organizational change efforts. Findings from this project continue to affirm the profound impact that intentional professional learning can have on both individuals and organizations.Individuals experienced a significant increase in understanding of the concepts and frameworks introduced in the intensive workshops. A majority of surveyed participants also reported significant personal growth in their perceptions of equity and justice, and their relation to others in their organizations, and to the outdoor and environmental learning field overall.

Overall, 62% of survey respondents felt the WTRE experience had a significant or transformative impact on their organization. Participants reported noticeable progress in their organizations in the form of newly created equity committees, leadership support for equity efforts, changes in hiring practices, and more. The most significant organizational change came in building up an organizational culture that enabled staff to have difficult and vulnerable conversations about race and racial equity.

“Being a part of WTRE really gave me a lot of hope and helped me believe change was actually possible,” said one WTRE participant. “This is the first time I’ve been in an organization and part of an initiative where I’ve seen people actually wanting to learn and wanting to change.”

Research findings also paint a more nuanced and complex picture of the possibilities of organizational change efforts. For example, many organizations engage in this work to promote a greater sense of belonging for staff. But the findings highlight how our experiences are dynamic, and therefore, belonging can shift and evolve at different time points and different settings. This reinforces the deep commitment to the personal work because any individual interaction can affect how one experiences belonging.