Our Beginnings

Learning Outside began as an idea shared by three educators in 2007: Livy Ludington, Tori Ralston and Wendy Banning.

Livy came with a strong background in science. She was respected long-term science educator at Frank Porter Graham Elementary School in their innovative science lab program and recently had retired. She was also active in our local community's environmental and preservation work. Tori came as both an artist and an arts educator, one seasoned in arts integration for children of all ages as well as in work with at-risk youth. Wendy came with experience as a classroom teacher, as a school director, and as a teacher trainer and she had also co-authored a book for educators on outdoor learning entitled Lens on Outdoor Learning.

These three educators shared a vision of creating an experiential outdoor learning program that would offer children of all ages hands-on opportunities to connect with and learn from the natural world. Their vision was rooted in reaching out to all children, including this community's most underserved children, and providing them with holistic experiences outdoors that integrated the arts and sciences, that valued play and exploration, and that supported children's diverse learning styles.

They approached Triangle Land Conservancy with their idea. In December, 2007, TLC invited the three to submit a formal proposal which, in addition to detailing the project, would delineate how their goals dovetailed with TLC's mission. From that proposal, submitted in 2008, an invaluable partnership with Triangle Land Conservancy was born.

With grant support from The Grable Foundation for a feasibility study and program development, plans were put in place for the project, which was named Irvin Learning Farm, to implement a 4-week summer camp pilot on TLC's Irvin Nature Preserve in the summer of 2009. Grant funding from the Oak Foundation enhanced and supported this initial pilot.

The summer pilot was a resounding success and additional programs were designed and offered in the fall of 2009 and the winter and spring of 2010. Included in the lineup was an innovative Literacy-in-Nature intersession program for children failing or at-risk of failing in school, offered in partnership with Frank Porter Graham Elementary School with grant support from The Grable Foundation.

New programs continued to be added in response to needs identified in our community. Concurrently, Irvin Learning Farm applied for and acquired its own non-profit status as Learning Outside in 2010 as part of the organization's commitment to Triangle Land Conservancy to establish itself as an independent entity. Learning Outside then signed a User License Agreement with TLC to continue to offer its programs at TLC’s Irvin Nature Preserve site.

The three educators who founded Learning Outside remain deeply committed to Learning Outside's success. Livy serves as Learning Outside's Board Chair, Tori has worked as a lead instructor and has also served as a Board member. And Wendy serves as Learning Outside's Director, a lead instructor and as a member of the Board.

Learning Outside's beginnings were founded on an idea; one shared by three educators who believed that experiences in nature substantively enhance children’s lives and learning. Its programs offer children open-ended opportunities to explore, to investigate, and to pursue questions of interest. Activities engage and connect children with the natural world, with one another and with experiences that strengthen their sense of themselves as confident, capable learners.