A Message from the Outdoor Science School to our Participating Teachers!

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of the schools who attended Los Angeles County Outdoor Science School in this school year! We know you worked very hard to prepare your students, parents, and cabin leaders for a life-changing week full of NGSS-aligned scientific inquiry, nature exploration, and community building. We hope your week at Outdoor Science School was a highlight of your school year. It was a pleasure to work with you to provide this amazing opportunity for your students.

This has been another great year for the Outdoor Science School. We were able to welcome and support a number of new schools from several new districts. New schools are a great addition and currently participating schools are our best ambassadors. We always love to get all of the returning schools with all of their experience and familiar faces.

Excellent Outdoor Science Field Study

Looking back at 65 years of service, we are excited about the quality of our educational program. We were very pleased to receive these comments from a participating teacher.

"After looking into various [outdoor science school] programs, we knew that LACOSS was the perfect place for our students to have an immersive experience in science education. Because it is a program affiliated with Los Angeles County Office of Education, we were confident that the curriculum would be aligned with NGSS, and that the experience would build upon the collaboration and inquiry-based learning that takes place in the classroom. P.S. It was an experience that we all can't stop sharing about!!" --Michelle Kibic, 5th grade teacher, Sanchez Elem., Norwalk/ La Mirada Unified School District, 1st year participating teacher.

Support for Next Year

At the Outdoor Science School, as in your classrooms, we are already busy planning for your next visit to OSS. We know that parents, teachers, and administrators want to know as much as they can about Outdoor Science School before they agree to send their students to an overnight program. LACOSS is here to support you to recruit cabin leaders and to address parent concerns so as many of your students as possible can experience Outdoor Science School! Here are some resources to help you.

Explore resources on our website! Be sure to check the Teacher Resources section of the website. These resources include PowerPoint presentations for your parent meetings, lists, planning tools, and a variety of recommendations.
Invite your families for a Saturday tour of LACOSS Wrightwood Fall 2025! We are planning an open house for fall 2025. This event will be for families to better understand the outdoor science school setting and what a school visit entails. We recommend this for families of students with specific needs or any interested parents.
Earn a Scholarship to OSS by recruiting a new school! Many students and teachers leave their week at OSS hoping they can share the experience with others. Help us identify schools that might be interested in participating and you can earn scholarships for your own school!

2025-2026 OSS Sign-up

Signups are held in late February every year for the following school year. If you miss the initial signup period, please email outdooreducation [at] lacoe [dot] edu or your can call 562-922-6330. There are occasionally schools that need to cancel or switch dates and if we have availability, you may be able to reserve a date for your school or get on our waiting list.

Staying in Touch

We hope you have a wonderful summer break. Members of our naturalist staff will be traveling all around the world, pursuing their passions for learning and exploring in nature. Stay in touch with our program and naturalists during the summer!

Website:       http://www.outdoorscienceschool.org/
Instagram:    @lac_oss
Facebook:    L.A. County Outdoor Science School

Thank you for your continued dedication to high-quality, immersive, science education for your students, and thank you for your support of the Outdoor Science School.

All your friends and colleagues at the Outdoor Science School!

May 22, 2018