INSPIRE: Elementary and Middle Schools in Nature

After School Programs and Day Trips into Nature

Classroom lessons about the natural world can spark wonder in young minds, from giant sequoias as tall as skyscrapers to colorful tide pools, snow-capped mountaintops and powerful waterfalls.

But something deeper happens when students experience those wonders for themselves.

They encircle a giant sequoia and hold its tiny seed. They count anemones reflected in tide pools. They make a snowball with their own hands and feel the mist of a waterfall on their faces.

Through INSPIRE, students do more than learn about creation.

They step into it, building curiosity, confidence and lasting connections with the world around them.
 


Fresno Pacific University’s Wilderness Studies Program offers INSPIRE, an outdoor education experience designed for regional K–8 schools.

Through after-school programs and one- to three-day field trips, students connect classroom learning with hands-on exploration in the natural settings of Central California, such as our mountains, tide pools, foothills and rivers.

Led by FPU Wilderness faculty and staff, INSPIRE experiences are customized to support your school’s learning goals while encouraging curiosity, confidence, character development and class unity.

INSPIRE programs can help students:

  • Engage with science and other subjects through outdoor, hands-on learning
  • Meet California State Standards through customized activities
  • Build confidence, character and teamwork
  • Strengthen classroom community and unity
  • Experience nearby wilderness spaces in meaningful ways
  • Learn from FPU Wilderness faculty and staff in a safe, supportive environment

Programs may take place on your school campus, in nearby outdoor spaces or through field trips across Central California’s diverse natural landscapes.

Who:

INSPIRE experiences are intentionally designed for meaningful student engagement, responsible stewardship and a supportive learning environment.

For day trips, we prefer to take one classroom at a time, with a maximum of 30 students. Smaller groups allow students to connect more directly with the natural setting, reduce the impact on the environment and help us maintain an ideal teacher-to-student ratio of 1:6.

For after-school programming, we can scale for larger groups based on the needs of the school site.

Group guidelines include:

  • Day trips: One classroom at a time is preferred (30 or less people) because it allows for more direct contact to the setting for each student and it lessens the human impact on that setting.
  • Teacher-to-student ratio: Our ideal 1:6 ratio helps maximize learning, safety and community building principles.
  • After-school programming: We can scale for larger groups.
  • Family and school involvement: Teachers, administrators and parents are encouraged to participate in the experience.
  • Overnight trips: One chaperone or school-site educator is required for every six students.
  • Overnight group size: Overnight trips require at least 12 students and may include no more than 24 students.

By keeping groups personal and well-supported, INSPIRE helps students build confidence, deepen relationships and experience outdoor learning in a meaningful way.

When:

INSPIRE programs are designed to fit the needs of your school, students and schedule.

FPU works directly with each school site to plan outdoor learning experiences that align with your goals, timeline and the best seasonal opportunities across Central California.

Program options include:

  • After-school Wilderness Club: Program length is determined in partnership with each school site. Six- to eight-week programs are common, with semester-long options available.
  • Summer camps: Weeklong, all-day summer camp options are available in June.
  • Day trips: Weekday trips are recommended when natural spaces are less crowded, though weekend options may be available.
  • Seasonal field trips: Trips can take place during the school year or summer, with timing and location guided by seasonal weather conditions.
  • One-day outdoor learning experiences: Central California’s location allows for four to six hours of outdoor learning in a single day.
  • Overnight trips: Overnight backpacking or camping trips are generally reserved for middle school classes. These two-night, three-day trips are offered during the week.

From campus-based programs to wilderness experiences, INSPIRE helps schools choose the format that best supports student learning, confidence and connection.
 

2026 Summer Camps:

Dates: 

  • June 1–6
  • June 8–13
  • August 3–8

Time:

  • All 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location:

  • FPU campus, with Friday or Saturday field trip option

Cost (Summer Day Camp):

  • $800 (5-day)
  • $999 (6-day)

Where:

INSPIRE takes full advantage of Fresno’s central location, connecting students with some of California’s most remarkable natural learning environments.

We have four national parks within 2.5 hours of Fresno (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Pinnacles) and we love them all.

The Sierra Nevada is one of the finest year-round classrooms imaginable, and it is one of our favorite places to INSPIRE students. Closer to home, the San Joaquin and Kings rivers, along with the surrounding foothills, offer rich opportunities to explore geology, cultural history, environmental science, ecology, and plant and animal studies.

Wherever your students are inspired to go, FPU works with each school site to make the most of the time, transportation and learning goals available.

Location options may include:

  • Sierra Nevada destinations: Mountain settings that offer year-round opportunities for outdoor learning.
  • National parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Pinnacles, all within about 2.5 hours of Fresno.
  • Rivers and foothills: Nearby spaces, often within a one-hour drive, ideal for geology, ecology, cultural history, and plant and animal studies.
  • Central Coast and Monterey area: Day trips may be possible, with an outer travel range of about a three-hour one-way drive.
  • School-day trips: For trips that must fit within a standard school day, closer destinations are recommended to preserve meaningful learning time.
  • Layered learning: Pre- and post-trip classroom visits may be built into the experience to help prepare students and deepen reflection afterward.

From local rivers to national parks, INSPIRE helps students see Central California as a living classroom filled with wonder, purpose and discovery.

Program Options:

Every INSPIRE experience begins with two important questions: Where are your students inspired to go? What do you want them to focus on learning?

FPU Wilderness Studies faculty and staff work with school leaders to design an itinerary and curriculum that support each school’s goals. Because different natural settings lend themselves to different California State Standards and learning outcomes, we help schools choose the location, focus and format that best fit their students.

Together, we can customize:

  • The outdoor location or natural setting
  • Key learning goals and desired outcomes
  • Connections to California State Standards
  • Age-appropriate activities and curriculum
  • The itinerary, schedule and trip format
  • Opportunities for experiential learning, reflection and growth

Creative, flexible and student-centered, INSPIRE is designed to help young learners discover, explore and grow through meaningful outdoor education.

Cost:

Cost varies depending on the selected trip and the various services we provide or the school site provides. We always provide all curriculum materials, staffing, snacks and drinks and all logistical pre-planning and trip leading. 

Options: Typically, FPU does not provide transportation for the students and school site participants. Likewise, it may be more cost-effective for some schools to provide the student meals. Yet, depending on your needs and budget, FPU can provide both transportation and food.

  • The general flat rate per participant in a 6-week, two days per week after school program varies from $36 to $75 per day per student, dependent on enrollment numbers (higher enrollment is more cost effective for school sites).
  • The general flat rate per participant on a day trip is $100–$125.
  • The general flat rate per participant on overnight trips is $175 per day which includes all food.

CA State Standards we are able to teach during our INSPIRE trips:

  • 1st Grade: LS3-1
  • 2nd Grade: ESS1-1; ESS2-1; ESS2.B and C; LS2-2; LS4-1; PS1-1 and 2
  • 3rd Grade: LS1-1; LS3-2; LS4-4
  • 4th Grade: ESS1-1; ESS2-1; ESS3-1; LS1-1
  • 5th Grade: ESS2-2; LS1-1; LS2-1
  • 6–8 Grades(MS): ESS1-4; ESS2-1, 2, and 4; ESS3-1, 3, and 5; LS2-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5