CRSET Resources

• Deepening Commitments: Working Toward Equity and Inclusion When Connecting Youth to the Outdoors (Youth Outside)
• This case study of a 7-month cultural relevancy series offered by Youth Outside includes useful information for considering organizational culture (especially pages 8-10) and offers examples of equity, diversity, and inclusion projects taken up by several environmental education organizations (page 6).

• Organizational Change Processes (Racial Equity Tools)
• This resource collection includes dozens of tools and case studies for shifting organizations towards more equitable and inclusive practices.

• Critical Orientations: Indigenous Studies and Outdoor Education Online Course (Spirit Brooks and Leilani Sabzalian, OSU Extension Service)
• This free, self-paced online course supports outdoor educators in engaging with culturally responsive incorporation of Indigenous studies concepts into outdoor education curriculum and programming.
• Guide for Setting Ground Rules (Paul C. Gorski, Critical Multicultural Pavilion)
• In this short article, the author shares thoughts about setting ground rules for discussions about social justice, including consideration of how ground rules can sometimes privilege the already-privileged.
• Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 1: Building an understanding of family and community engagement (Garcia and colleagues, IES and McREL International) 
• This toolkit provides reflection questions and activities for examining personal beliefs and biases about community and family engagement. It includes a section on how cultural lenses influence interactions with others (Section 1.3). 
• The toolkit is formatted to support facilitation of the activities for groups but is also useful for personal reflection if used outside of a group training context. We encourage you to think about how your cultural lens affects how you interact with outdoor school audiences and partners specifically. (As written, the toolkit is not specific to outdoor education.) 
• Why Aren't There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History (Walidah Imarisha, at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art)
• In this video, scholar and author Walidah Imarisha shares histories of Black communities in Oregon and offers thoughts on how these histories provide context for present-day decisions.

• Examining Equitable and Inclusive Work Environments in Environmental Education: Perspectives from the Field and Implications for Organizations (The Lawrence Hall of Science and Youth Outside)
• The authors of this report offer seven key considerations for advancing equity and inclusion in environmental education organizations. 
• Leaking Talent: How People of Color Are Pushed Out of Environmental Organizations (Stephanie Johnson, Diverse Green)
• This report describes perspectives of employees of color in environmental organizations about internal policies and practices that support/hinder their work and affect their desire to remain in their positions.
• Toolkit to Mitigate Bias in Recruitment and Hiring (Avarna Group)
• This toolkit provides dozens of specific strategies for mitigating bias in job descriptions, interviews, and more. 
• Please see the Staffing/Workforce Diversity tab (in the Diversity section below) for additional resources on hiring practices.

• The Culturally Responsive-Sustaining STEAM Curriculum Scorecard (Leah Peoples and colleagues, Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools at NYU)
  • This curriculum scorecard is designed to help you determine how culturally responsive your curriculum is, within four major areas: Representation, Social Justice, Teacher's Materials, and Materials/Resources.
  • Before this STEAM version of the scorecard was published, we had linked to the English/Language Arts version: Culturally Responsive Curriculum Scorecard (Jahque Bryan-Gooden and colleagues, Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools at NYU)
• Four Practices to Promote Equity in the Classroom (Ashley DiFranza, Northeastern University)
• In this article, the author offers suggestions for explicitly acknowledging equity in instruction. 
• Instructional Resource Self-Evaluation Tool (IRSET) (OSU Extension Service Outdoor School program)
• Our Instructional Resource Self-Evaluation Tool is designed to support you in reviewing all of the instructional resources that make up your outdoor school curriculum. If you are working on making your outdoor school program more culturally responsive and student-centered, this tool is a great place to start.
• Learning for Justice
• Learning for Justice provides social justice and anti-bias resources for educators. Check out the Self-Guided Learning Section (in the Professional Development tab) for a wide range of resources about fostering positive classroom culture, engage communities, and more!

• Developing Culturally Responsive Approaches to Serving Diverse Populations: A Resource Guide for Community-Based Organizations (López and colleagues, National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families)
  • This handbook includes information about conducting needs assessments (see page 15) and includes links to many additional resources for engaging with diverse populations. The handbook does not focus on outdoor education specifically, but many of the ideas can be applied to outdoor school.
• Oregon Equity Lens (Higher Education Coordinating Commission)
  • This policy brief describes how an equity lens can inform education policy and budgeting. On page 3, the brief outlines several questions that outdoor school programs might ask themselves as they engage with specific communities. (The questions are not specific to outdoor school, but most of them can be applied easily to thinking about an outdoor school program.)

• The State of Diversity in Environmental Organizations (Dorceta Taylor, Green 2.0)
• Tale from the Field: How We Changed Our Hiring Practices (page 50 in the BEETLES Guide for Program Leaders) (BEETLES Project)
• Please see the Internal Organizational Activities tab (in the Equity section above) for additional resources on hiring practices.

• Color Blindness (Learning for Justice)
• This short professional development article focuses on how being race-blind (e.g., “I don’t see color when I look at my students.”) can undermine culturally responsive teaching.
• Diversity – The Dangerous 9-Letter Umbrella (Youth Outside)
• In this short article, the author describes the dangers of relying too heavily on the word “diversity” when thinking about the work that needs to be done to include marginalized communities.
• Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 2: Building a cultural bridge (Garcia and colleagues, IES and McREL International) 
• This toolkit provides reflection questions and activities for identifying family and community strengths.
• The toolkit is formatted to support facilitation of the activities for groups but is also useful for personal reflection if used outside of a group training context. We encourage you to reflect on the role of family and community strengths at outdoor school specifically. (As written, the toolkit is not specific to outdoor education.)

• Culturally Responsive Curriculum Scorecard (Jahque Bryan-Gooden and colleagues, Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools at NYU)
• Critical Orientations: Indigenous Studies and Outdoor Education Online Course (Spirit Brooks and Leilani Sabzalian, OSU Extension Service)

• Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 2: Building a cultural bridge (Garcia and colleagues, IES and McREL International) 
• This toolkit provides reflection questions and activities for identifying family and community strengths. 
• The toolkit is formatted to support facilitation of the activities for groups but is also useful for personal reflection if used outside of a group training context. We encourage you to reflect on the role of family and community strengths at outdoor school specifically. (As written, the toolkit is not specific to outdoor education.)

• Examining Equitable and Inclusive Work Environments in Environmental Education: Perspectives from the Field and Implications for Organizations (The Lawrence Hall of Science and Youth Outside)
• This report describes shortcomings of thinking about equity, diversity, and inclusion as an issue of “providing access to all.” According to the authors, “This “access-for-all” narrative negates the need to prioritize these communities that have been, and continue to be, largely excluded in [environmental education]” (pg. 3). The report offers considerations for operationalizing equity, diversity, and inclusion in ways that address systemic barriers to participation. 

• How to Differentiate Instruction (Liana Loewus, Education Week Teacher)
• This article highlights two videos describing strategies for differentiating instruction for diverse learners.

Deep Dive:

• Differentiation Strategies and Examples (Jessica Hockett, Tennessee Department of Education)
• Grades 3-5
• Grades 6-12
• These handbooks provide extensive information about differentiation, including misconceptions about differentiation, a process for planning differentiated lessons, and many examples of differentiation strategies.
• Though the handbooks are not specific to outdoor education, many of the strategies apply to instruction at outdoor school.

• How Can We Develop Culturally Specific Programs to Engage Youth of Color? (Ivonne Ortiz, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence)
• (Note: This article provides statistics on domestic and sexual violence.)
• In this article, the author describes qualities of effective culturally specific programs and explains why this type of program can be useful. While not specific to outdoor education, many of the obstacles described in the article apply to students’ participation in outdoor school (e.g., lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate services).

• Community Engagement: Guidelines for Excellence Key Characteristic 3 - Collaborative and Inclusive (NAAEE, available for free by clicking the “Download the PDF” button)
• On pages 38-45, this document offers dozens of strategies for building inclusive collaborations in environmental education, including indicators for developing strategic partnerships and valuing and incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• For a deeper dive into principles and practices of community engagement, explore other sections of the document!
• Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 1: Building an understanding of family and community engagement (Garcia and colleagues, IES and McREL International) 
• This toolkit provides reflection questions and activities for examining personal beliefs and biases about community and family engagement. 
• The toolkit is formatted to support facilitation of the activities for groups but is also useful for personal reflection if used outside of a group training context. We encourage you to think specifically about how your personal beliefs and biases shape family and community engagement at outdoor school specifically. (As written, the toolkit is not specific to outdoor education.)
• Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 3: Building trusting relationships with families and the community through effective communication (Garcia and colleagues, IES and McREL International) 
• This toolkit provides practical strategies for cross-cultural communication.
• The toolkit is formatted to support facilitation of the activities for groups but is also useful for personal reflection if used outside of a group training context. We encourage you to think specifically about where cross-cultural communication occurs outdoor school specifically. (As written, the toolkit is not specific to outdoor education.)