The Outdoor Wilderness Learning Survival program, or O.W.L.S. as it is known around the school, a unique outdoor education program run by the wonderful Jamie Maloof and a cornerstone of our education programming at MSW.

The O.W.L.S. program brings students together in an outdoor environment regardless of the weather and students take pride in their time outdoors rain, snow, sleet, or sun.

Through thematic based learning throughout the year students explore similar topics across all grades at a depth that is appropriate for their grade level. This community learning allows students to be able to discuss the outdoors together and unique peer learning opportunities.

O.W.L.S. uses outdoor classroom spaces such as the greenhouse, forest classroom, and our school forest to immerse students in outdoor learning and to allow them to experience what is possible right outside their doors in Vermont.

In addition to learning important outdoor skills such as fire building, track identification, and foraging, students also learn about concepts that link directly to their learning in the classroom such as migration, water resources, or the local traditions of indigenous peoples.

Additionally, the learning that happens here exemplifies the pedagogical perspective of MSW as a school where we work to integrate student experiences into meaningful learning in the classroom.