Log boom: B.C. school board builds 20 outdoor classrooms amid COVID-19 pandemic

A school district in central B.C. is making a big pivot towards outdoor learning during the pandemic.

The Cariboo-Chilcotin School Board planned and built 20 log classrooms for students in the Williams Lake area.

2:46 Outdoor education specialists launch outdoor classrooms for learning in COVID-19 era

Local trades workers were hired for the unique project, which was approved by the district last month.

Marie Sharpe Elementary in Williams Lake and Alexis Creek Elementary and Junior Secondary in Alexis Creek are two of the schools benefitting from the new outdoor learning spaces.

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B.C. education ministry lauded the school board’s ingenuity, saying educators there have “successfully adapted to new, dynamic learning environments and are finding students are engaged and excited to be learning outside.”

Health officials have long advocated for people to congregate outdoors rather than indoors whenever possible to lower the possibility of COVID-19 transmission.

The district says the log shelters will outlast the pandemic and be used by teachers and teaching assistants in the future.