Students focus nearly 2X as long after outdoor lessons
Pali InstituteWe Bring
Textbooks to Life.
Grades 4–12 on 274 acres of San Bernardino National Forest - the only residential outdoor education program in California accredited by both WASC and AEE.
WASC-Accredited
AEE-Accredited
NGSS & Common Core Aligned
11:1 Student-to-Staff
Two On-Site RNs
Background-Checked Instructors
Since 1990
The Pali Difference
Some Lessons Can’t Be Taught at a Desk.
Students don’t read about ecosystems here. They walk through them – finding evidence of food webs under rocks, in water samples, and in the soil they’re holding in their hands.
Kids remember what they experienced. A review of 41 studies across 10,453 students found consistently positive academic outcomes when outdoor education was part of the school year. Teachers have known this for decades. The research caught up.
It's become the culture of our school. Yolanda Fitzgerald, Teacher, Earth's Magnet School.
Program Overview
Four Categories. 30+ Modules. One Schedule.
Built Around Your Curriculum.
Choose from Outdoor Education, Science, Leadership, and Art. Mix and match to build a 3-, 4-, or 5-day program around your grade-level standards. Every session is 90 minutes; every instructor holds a bachelor's degree and passes background checks.
30+
Class modules across Science, Leadership, Outdoor Education, and Art - each 90 minutes, taught by credentialed Pali instructors.
92%
Of teachers in a government-commissioned study of 125 schools reported students were more engaged with learning when outdoors.
Natural Connections, 2016 - University of Plymouth
The Evidence
Outdoor Education, by the Numbers
Every figure below comes from a peer-reviewed study or government-commissioned evaluation.
01 Academic Durability & Mastery
41
Independent studies confirm positive academic outcomes
A 2025 scoping review of 41 studies covering 10,453 students found consistently positive outcomes in science, reading, and writing across every school level.
Pulido et al., 2025 - Education Sciences, MDPI
96%
Recall their school field trip decades later
In a retrospective study of 128 participants, 96% recalled a field trip taken 1 to 20+ years earlier - nearly all could name specific content they learned.
Falk & Dierking - Curator: The Museum Journal
02 Operational & Behavioral ROI
2×
As long teaching without interruption
Teachers sustained instruction nearly twice as long without redirecting students after outdoor lessons. The effect held every week of a 10-week study.
Kuo, Browning & Penner, 2018 - University of Illinois
92%
Of teachers report stronger engagement outdoors
A government-commissioned evaluation of 125 schools and 2,000+ educators over four years - 92% reported students were more engaged when learning outdoors.
Natural Connections, 2016 - University of Plymouth
03 Student Development & SEL
12/12
Studies found self-efficacy gains
Every study in a meta-analysis of 2,642 adolescents showed self-efficacy gains. Largest gains for students with existing mental health challenges.
Fang et al., 2021 - Perceptual and Motor Skills
+0.17
SEL gains keep growing after students return
The field's foundational meta-analysis (96 studies) found social-emotional gains kept increasing at follow-up rather than fading - compounding after camp.
Hattie et al. - Review of Educational Research
For Principals & Administrators
Defensible. Fundable. Safe.
The only residential outdoor ed program in California accredited by both WASC and AEE - the same standards your school operates under.
All programs are NGSS and California Common Core aligned. NGSS crosswalk documents available on request for district review.
Eligible for ELOP, LCFF, ASES, Prop 28, and PTA enrichment funds. We can provide language for your budget proposal.
11:1 student-to-staff ratio. Two registered nurses on-site 7am–10pm. All instructors background-checked with bachelor's degrees.
Addresses LCAP Priorities 4 (Pupil Achievement), 5 (Student Engagement), and 6 (School Climate) in one program.
We've been doing this since 1990. Schools come back.
Our teachers were impressed with the level of professionalism, organization, behavior management, and knowledge of the staff. You all worked so hard, yet made it look effortless. - [NAME], Principal, [SCHOOL]
Our Science-Based Curriculum
Pali Institute provides hands-on field-based activities that bring classroom science to life. With a fun and educational science camp feel in a natural California mountain environment, we introduce students to numerous scientific disciplines through rocket launches, squid dissection, weather experiments and crime scene investigation! Students engage with enthusiasm and exit from Pali with knowledge retained to take their study of science to the next level.
Our science curriculum has a STEM/STEAM focus as well as being aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Plan your Winter/Spring enrichment around our Advanced Leadership and Teambuilding programs.
Bring the club or team to our program to take advantage of teambuilding and leadership curriculum. Most schools choose to participate in the ropes courses regardless of trip goals. It’s a great opportunity for students to challenge themselves on the trip!
Our address is at: 30778 Hwy 18, Running Springs, California
Location
Nestled in the San Bernardino National Forest near Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear, this lush, forested setting is the perfect backdrop for science experiments, team challenges, and adventure-based learning.
Facility & Overnight Accommodations
You'll Be Amazed by What Camping Looks Like at Pali.
Comfortable mountain cabins feature solid-wood built-in bunks, radiant floor heating, and private bathroom and shower facilities inside the cabin – each supervised by a qualified staff member. Teachers stay in semi-private accommodations with a lounge, Wi-Fi, and computers.
Pali sits on 274 acres of the San Bernardino National Forest – home to 5 challenge courses, 3 zip lines, 5 archery ranges, basketball courts, a recreation field, and over 5 miles of hiking trails. Students dine in Huckleberry Hall on buffet-style meals from our executive chef. Our facility is nut-free, with vegetarian options on request.
Our mission is to introduce experiential education to young people.
Safe & Accredited
Outdoor Education You Can Trust.
Pali Institute is a leader in outdoor education. We are proud to be the only residential outdoor education program accredited by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC), which holds us to more than one hundred professional standards and guidelines.
Some of Our Classes
Hands-On From the First Session
LEADERSHIP High Ropes Course
Our most popular activity provides adventure and human development at heights up to 45 feet in the trees. Students build confidence in themselves and each other as they encounter an array of challenges, then debrief how those lessons apply back home.
LEADERSHIP Archery
One of our most traditional camp activities and still a student favorite. Students learn the history, mechanics, and basic physics of the bow and arrow, then put it into practice on ranges with large targets, defined firing lines, and close supervision.
SCIENCE & AGRICULTURE Living Fossils
Reptiles have been around for quite a long time, some longer than others. Students will visit live animals in our nature center and learn about the fascinating adaptations of these modern-day animals that have allowed generations to survive over long periods of times.
Testimonials
What Teachers & Students Say
Miguel Cano
Teacher, Divich Elementary
“Out here, they're learning and they're having the times of their lives.” · 0:38
Katie Olson & Kyle Perio
Teachers, Sycamore Academy
“They were not just playing with reptiles, they were learning about reptiles - and that directly aligns with our science curriculum.” · 1:10
Michael Sandler
6th Grade Teacher, Lincoln Fundamental School
“You see kids doing things that you never expected them to, or they never even expected themselves to do.” · 0:28
Lex
7th Grade Student, Sycamore Academy
“I'd just be brave, I'd just be courageous - I can do this.” · 0:45
Mila
5th Grade Student, Divich Elementary
“One word I would describe Pali is amazing.” · 0:43
