How to Provide Effective Outdoor Science Lab Experiences for Elementary Aged Children

The 115+ acres of the Irma Lewis Outdoor Learning Center (ILOLC) in Seguin, Texas have provided educational and recreational opportunities to Seguin ISD students and local families for decades. Once the ILOLC was acquired by the school district in 2023, it was a game changer for what the district could do moving forward capitalizing on the amazing resources provided for their students. In this season finale, Dr. Rhea sits down with Seguin ISD’s Pete Silvius (Director of Whole Child Initiatives), Lesli Mahaffey (Koennecke Principal) and Stephanie DuBose (Koennecke 3rd Grade Teacher) to share how they each played a role in creating science lab opportunities in nature at the ILOLC. They knew that content would be learned better through the hands-on experiences, as well as the children were much more inquisitive and disciplined during these awesome opportunities. Pete Silvius is the Director of Whole Child Initiatives for Seguin ISD in Seguin, Texas. This is Pete’s 28th year working in public education.  He has a background in Physical Education and Special Education but his passion is Outdoor Education.  Pete is honored to work for Seguin ISD going on 23 years and is especially thankful for support of innovative programing including the LiiNK Project, Adventure School, The Irma Lewis Outdoor Learning Center, and Adventure Camp Summer Programs.  Stephanie DuBose is a 3rd-grade science and Social Studies teacher at Koennecke Elementary School in Seguin Independent School District with 15 years of experience in education. She is passionate about hands-on learning and supporting the whole child through meaningful classroom experiences. Stephanie also coordinates Seguin ISD Irma Lewis Outdoor Learning Center trips for students in grades 3 5 at her campus, helping connect learning beyond the classroom.Lesli Mahaffey is the principal of Koennecke Elementary in Seguin ISD. She was previously the literacy coordinator for Seguin ISD where she also led Texas Reading Academies, their Gifted and Talented programming, and their intervention program. She has a master's degree in curriculum and instruction and one in educational leadership.