Each day students participate in two immersive investigations from 9:30 am till 3pm where they are introduced to complex environmental issues, form research questions, design a study and practice presenting findings including positive and active solutions.
Each investigation is aligned with Next Generation Science and Environmental Literacy standards. Students have to use science, language arts, math, and social studies knowledge and skills to practice hands-on STEAM skills in the real world.
NorthBay’s curriculum team will gladly work with your teachers to support learning targets and reinforce classroom themes.
Each afternoon of a student’s NorthBay experience is filled with learning opportunities on our adventure elements. High adventure elements include:
Students face fears and overcome challenges on the high ropes course, cheering each other on as they try the zipline.
NorthBay has two team building challenge courses and all of our instructors are trained in facilitating activities to build communication skills and help students hone their collaboration, and leadership skills.
Students also practice team building across the course of the week from accomplishing small group tasks during investigations, to practicing for group acts in the talent show, to sharing family style meals together.
At NorthBay, social emotional learning is seamlessly woven into every aspect of a student’s day. All of NorthBay’s material is aligned with CASEL and designed to promote the five key pillars of SEL:
From spending the week in shared space with a cabin group to passing food around the table at mealtimes, students work on social skills and relationship building throughout their experience..
Each day has an environmental science theme that is a part of lessons while also being applicable to a student’s personal and academic life. For example, on Mondays we explore the concept of niche. Students grow to understand that everything in nature has a role to play and a benefit it provides: a tree provides oxygen, a wetland filters stormwater, a vulture safely disposes of decomposing animals.
If everything in nature has a niche, and humans are a part of nature, what is your niche? What are you good at? What do you love? What positive things can you do for the people and environment around you?
NorthBay Live is a fully produced show incorporating live performances and cutting edge media to deliver a message that highlights the power and responsibility in our individual choices. Each evening, students participate in NorthBay Live which seamlessly and joyfully weaves our daily science themes into social scenarios that relate to a student’s life through video, song, and dance. The different aspects of each day’s programs work together to empower and inspire students in a way that cannot be matched.
For every minute a student spends outside, they spend more than an hour on social media. Children are growing more disconnected from nature and one another. This disconnection is taking a toll, leading to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and mental health challenges.
Outdoor school is a nationwide movement offering a short term experience that leads to long term transformation. These are multi-day, overnight programs aligned to standards of learning and incorporate intentional social emotional development. Students exchange days spent at a desk under fluorescent lights and nights hunched over a screen for an immersive experience in nature and time spent building a deep and meaningful community.
Outdoor school is designed and proven to help build connection between students and nature, their peers, and to build a deeper sense of self. They reimagine learning by taking it outside, where the world becomes the classroom. It’s more than just a change in scenery. It’s a profound shift in how children connect.
Academically, outdoor school excels in engaging students. Hands-on experiences in nature stimulate curiosity and critical thinking. Learning becomes immersive and relevant. Socially, outdoor school cultivates teamwork and communication. Activities like building shelters or navigating trails need collaboration and empathy. Outdoor school has also been shown to profoundly impact mental health. By engaging with the natural world, students build emotional resilience and rediscover a sense of purpose.
NorthBay is the nation’s largest overnight outdoor school. Since 2005 we have served over 300,000 students across the MidAtlantic area. Our campus encompasses forests, wetlands, and beaches on the Chesapeake Bay and our approach combines environmental education, adventure activities, and character development.
NorthBay collaborates with public schools to provide world class, immersive experiences in nature to students from all communities and backgrounds. Schools bring an entire middle grade to NorthBay building community and culture. The positive impact on academics, social emotional development and environmental literacy are reported by schools and backed up by rigorous evaluation.
Our hands-on approach encourages students to explore the natural world up close, promoting critical thinking and curiosity. Whether they’re wading through wetlands, solving team-building challenges, or performing in NorthBay Live, every activity promotes collaboration and personal responsibility. Here, nature becomes a classroom, and students gain vital life skills alongside a deeper appreciation for the environment.
At NorthBay, outdoor education is more than just learning—it’s an experience that fosters academic growth, emotional well-being, and environmental stewardship. When students leave NorthBay, they’re not just more knowledgeable—they’re more connected to themselves, their peers, and the world around them.
At NorthBay, the health, safety, and well-being of our students and guests is our number one priority. We adhere to the highest industry safety standards. Since 2005, we have safely served over 500,000 students, teachers, parents, and guests at the NorthBay campus. We maintain our excellent safety record through the continual assessment and improvement of our policies and practices to ensure we are delivering on our commitment to providing a safe environment for students, guests and staff.
NorthBay is a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization.
