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SOLE Nomenclature and Beyond

Experiential Education

At the core of what SOLE does day in and day out.  “Experiential education is a philosophy that informs many methodologies in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity to contribute to their communities. Experiential educators include teachers, camp counselors, corporate team builders, therapists, challenge course practitioners, environmental educators, guides, instructors, coaches, mental health professionals . . . and the list goes on. It is often utilized in many disciplines and settings: Non-formal education, Place-based education, Project-based education, Global education, Environmental education, Student-centered education, Informal education, Active learning, Service learning, Cooperative learning and Expeditionary learning.” (AEE, 2018)

Outdoor Education 

SOLE utilizes outdoor education as the primary pedagogy to deliver our curriculum.  “Outdoor education can be simply defined as experiential learning in, for, or about the outdoors. The term outdoor education, however, is used broadly to refer to a range of organized activities that take place in a variety of ways in predominantly outdoor environments.” (Wikipedia, 2018)

Place-Based Education 

Place-based education (PBE) is a cornerstone of SOLE’s experiential curriculum.  SOLE strives to provide novel educational experiences that allow participants to develop a sincere sense of belonging to their community and its environment.  We are confident that PBE provides the ideal curriculum vehicle to do just that.  “Place-based education (PBE) immerses students in local heritage, cultures, landscapes, opportunities and experiences, using these as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum. PBE emphasizes learning through participation in service projects for the local school and/or community.”