The ANCA Outdoor School Summit brings together executive directors, education directors, and other leadership staff from outdoor schools across North America. These centers share the unique challenges of housing and feeding students for multiple days, and the Outdoor School Summit fosters a space to solve problems and build connections in this particular field. ANCA holds the Outdoor School Summit in person every two years.
The 2025 Outdoor School Summit will be January 10-14 at NorthBay in North East, Md. Please save the date for now and check back here later for more information.
What are Outdoor Schools?
Outdoor schools are educational organizations offering immersive and overnight programs that connect participants to nature and each other. These programs are youth-based and academic, focused primarily on public school partnerships where students and classroom teachers stay for multiple days and nights, sharing educational activities, meals, and sleeping accommodations. While outdoor schools hold most programs outdoors, they also have indoor spaces such as classrooms, labs, dining halls, and dormitories to comfortably accommodate students, classroom teachers, and other adult chaperones.
The Outdoor School Summit is the single most useful gathering of practitioners in the country for residential EE programs. Imagine all of the biggest challenges you have at your center, and in this one weekend gathering you will leave with ideas and ways to approach all of them ... from people who have been in the same place as you!
— John DiDiego, Education Director, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
FAQs
Curious about the Outdoor School Summit? Here are some frequently asked questions about the event.
Who is the Outdoor School Summit for?
Leadership staff from outdoor schools across North America. This includes executive directors, CEOs, managers, and education directors, as well as staff who are interested in leadership within the outdoor school profession.
How many people attend?
Typically 80-120 people. This small size means that you have the time and space to build meaningful connections with nearly everyone in the room.
Why should I attend?
If you’re part of the outdoor school profession, there is no better space for your professional growth — the Summit is a supportive environment where you can learn in-depth about outdoor school management and operations. In the programs you will connect with peers who truly understand the challenges you face and have insights to offer. Beyond programs, too, you have the opportunity to explore the host organization and see their operations firsthand.
What can I expect to learn about?
All things pertaining to the management of outdoor schools and related organizations. Examples of topics include:
Advocacy and civic engagement
Building maintenance
Dining facilities
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Food systems and farms
Fundraising
How to connect with teachers
Marketing and communications
Program management
Registration software
Risk management
Staff recruitment
Strategic and master planning
Succession planning
Workplace environments
How is the Outdoor School Summit different from other conferences?
Outdoor schools occupy a unique niche within the environmental field, and the Outdoor School Summit is the only conference that serves administrators within this particular industry. While other conferences may lightly touch on topics that are relevant to outdoor schools, this Summit exclusively explores the logistics of organizational management and leadership in this field.
How is the Outdoor School Summit different from the ANCA Annual Summit?
The ANCA Annual Summit includes a broad diversity of ANCA members, many of whom represent day-use centers that have no overnight programming. While topics at the ANCA Annual Summit will still be relevant to leadership staff from outdoor schools, the Outdoor School Summit provides a space exclusively for organizations that deal with the challenges of housing and feeding program participants. This focus allows Outdoor School Summit attendees to connect solely with peers who face similar challenges.
What if I'm new to the field?
Please attend! You don’t need to have been in the profession for any set amount of time. Even if you're just starting in your position, we welcome you to the event and know that it will help you in your work.
What if I'm retired from the field?
Please attend! We welcome veteran and retired professionals, and appreciate the experiences and wisdom they share.
