Giving Compass' Take:

• This Politico Europe report (via Children & Nature Network) profiles one of Italy's first outdoor schools, and the potential outdoor play has to expand.

• What might schools in the US learn from these so-called "forest" schools, where traditional classes are eschewed for more project-based learning outside?

• Here's how outdoor education inspires environmental STEM learning.

Educating children in the great outdoors is not new. “Forest schools,” as they’re known, first appeared in Denmark in the 1950s. But on paper, Italy — which historically has taken a conservative approach to education — didn’t appear likely to embrace the idea.

Ostia, a small coastal town close to Rome, is home to one of Italy's first outdoor schools. The institution started with a kindergarten five years ago, and has since added a primary school and introduced classes for secondary school students.

But to say the school has “classes,” in the traditional sense, isn't entirely accurate. Students are divided into groups based on their interests, rather than their age, and are given “reality homework,” says Paolo Mai, the school’s founder. Lessons at the school start with practical experience; not abstract concepts.

Read the full article about Italian education reform and nature by Rocco Rorandelli at politico.eu, via Children & Nature Network.