Student voice in outdoor education programs within alternative schools

The research question addressed in this capstone project is How do students in an alternative school setting describe their experiences in an outdoor education program? The question arose from a lack of research centered on the use of outdoor education programming within the framework of a full-time alternative school setting. The author uses a mixed method of both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to access the voices of high school students who are enrolled full-time in an alternative school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These students participate regularly in outdoor education programming which is integrated into the school\u27s mission as an innovative model of credit acquisition and skills building. The author highlights trends and patterns based on her research, including a correlation between outdoor education and improved student-teacher relationships. In addition, the author discusses areas of needed program improvements such as more intentional focus on teamwork and leadership goals