Walden West Outdoor School & Summer Camp

Walden West Outdoor School is operated by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, from two campuses in the mountains of Saratoga and Cupertino, providing thousands of 5th and 6th grade students with hands-on environmental science education each year. State and county parks adjacent to our campuses provide an additional 3,000 acres of thickly forested land and over 70 miles of wooded trails. A variety of natural settings, including forest, chaparral, meadow and riparian are easily accessible and provide ideal teaching areas. At Walden West students from under-served areas of San Jose, Oakland, and beyond get to experience, explore, and learn, in the forest for the first time.

Our Outdoor Science School offers week long programs, where students live and learn in an outdoor environment. The program is operated on the premise that students learn best through hands-on activities and is guided by California State Science Standards, preparing students for state testing. Lessons in the natural sciences are brought to life so that students will develop an understanding and sense of appreciation for the environment. At Walden West you may learn about decomposition and soil erosion while composting in our garden, or get a lecture about the water cycle while sitting on the banks of a creek.

Our Summer Camp provides a myriad of activities that build self-confidence and long-term friendships while still focusing on environmental and outdoor exploration themes. We have programs for children grades K-12, lead by our teaching staff.

The Walden West Foundation The Walden West Foundation funds Walden West Outdoor School, providing quality, educational, science programs for thousands of students across the Bay Area. To read more about our current capital campaigns and plans for the future, please visit our website and check out our fundraising brochure: http://www.sccoe.org/waldenwest/docs/WW_Brochure.pdf