Out Teach

A brightly colored caterpillar almost got stepped on during recess. When Allie Graybeal, our Director of Professional Learning, was teaching 5th grade, many of her students were afraid of insects. Their first instinct was to stomp on them.

But as they learned about ecosystems, something shifted. One day at recess, a group of students stopped another classmate from stepping on the caterpillar and gathered around it instead. They started asking questions like:

• What would happen if someone did step on it?
• How can we tell if it’s dangerous or safe?
• Should we watch it over the next few days?
• Can we look it up and figure out what species it is?

That moment stuck with Allie. Her students had moved from fear to curiosity to responsibility. They were thinking like scientists. Today, Allie helps teachers create these same kinds of moments through Out Teach’s professional learning programs. This Wednesday, Allie is leading an open professional development session for PreK-6 educators on how to spark curiosity and inquiry outdoors.

Register through the link in our bio.

This story is part of our Science She Can Touch series celebrating women who are helping students experience science through curiosity and hands-on exploration.

As comes to a close, we’ve been sharing what representation in STEM can look like in practice for elementary students. Not just posters. Not just timelines.
But students doing science. Throughout the month, we highlighted how hands-on outdoor learning helps students:
• investigate soil
• explore ecosystems
• solve engineering challenges
• and connect their learning to real scientists and real STEM careers

This is how science becomes something students can see themselves in…not someday, but right now.

We pulled everything together in one short resource for anyone who wants to explore more.

Link in bio to dive in.

Because representation in STEM starts with what students get to do this month and all year long!

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his enduring belief in education as a force for justice, dignity, and possibility. Dr. King challenged us to think beyond memorization…to cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world around us. Those values feel especially urgent today, as students learn to ask questions, make sense of complex problems, and see themselves as capable contributors to their communities.

This Day of Service is a reminder that education is not just about what students know, but how they learn to think, explore, and care for the world they inherit. We honor Dr. King’s legacy by continuing to believe in learning that sparks curiosity, builds understanding, and helps young people imagine, and build, more just future.