The OLE! Texas Initiative promotes the design of Outdoor Learning Environments (OLE) for childcare centers throughout the state as a means to increase physical activity, food awareness, and enhance education in more natural outdoor spaces. TTU Faculty and graduate students are working throughout the state to provide designer training, conduct design workshops for childcare centers, and research a variety of behavioral responses to the Outdoor Learning Environments.

The OLE! Texas work at Texas Tech is part of the TTU Coalition for Natural Learning. The TTU team views their work with these programs as a springboard to a much broader approach to natural learning paradigms in which a multidisciplinary team can work to improve educational and recreational opportunities using natural systems and approaches. The Coalition also collaborates with the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), and the Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) program in Colorado.

Learn More here.