'Oakland Goes Outdoors:' $1M grant to fund outdoor education for Oakland middle schoolers

Oakland Unified School District wants to make outdoor education part of the curriculum for all 6th through 8th grade students.

Some Oakland middle schools - like Claremont Middle School - have organized camping trips and other outdoor education experiences in the past. But it was paid for by the individual schools’ PTAs.

Now, thanks to a $1 million grant, all  middle school students districtwide will have this opportunity.

The initiative is called "Oakland Goes Outdoors” and is being funded with a grant from the San Francisco Foundation.

It would pay for hikes, wilderness training and at least one overnight outdoor experience a year for all 6th through 8th grade students.