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2016 Autumn | Arts & Humanities, Education & Outreach

Outdoor Girls: Gender Equity in Outdoor Education

Student(s):

Victoria Peterson

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Blair Griffin

Partner(s):

  • Islandwood

Faculty advisor(s):

Tim Billo, Program on the Environment, University of Washington

Traditional classrooms have historically prioritized male learning to the detriment of girls’ education. This study takes the information known about gender equity in traditional classrooms and explores how this intersects with outdoor education. During my teaching internship at IslandWood, an environmental learning center on Bainbridge Island, I researched what gaps there are in teachings at IslandWood, and how instructors can create more equitable spaces. Data was collected by a thorough a literature review, observations, and participation-based data collection. Findings discussed include the pervasive use of gender-roles, a phenomena of teacher-bias, and solutions of increased teacher trainings and gender-inclusive curricula.