About Us
EONZ is a national professional organisation leading, influencing and supporting education outside the classroom (EOTC) and education outdoors.
Our Vision
All people in Aotearoa New Zealand have a lifelong opportunity for meaningful experiences and learning in the outdoors for individual, community, and environmental wellbeing.
Our Mission & Goals
- To increase participation in quality outdoor learning experiences
- Engagement in advocacy to advance education outdoors
- Education to build capability and improve practice
Find our:
EONZ Position Statement on EOTC
EONZ Position Statement on Funding of Educational Experiences
Overview of EONZ Strategic Direction 2015-2025
EONZ Child Protection Policy (2020)
Our Beliefs
We believe all young people in Aotearoa New Zealand should have quality Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) and outdoor learning experiences that are facilitated by competent and capable educators.
We believe that quality learning through EOTC scaffolds core values of integrity, respect, inclusion, diversity, equity, care for self and others, and the importance of ecological sustainability in authentic and meaningful in ways.
We are committed to advocating, promoting and supporting EOTC across educative settings, in all schools, across all areas and demographics.
We are committed to fostering quality EOTC that educates for a sustainable future.
How we do this
- Provision of professional learning development opportunities that will build capability and improved practice across the education sector and for providers of EOTC
- Provision of resources, tools, expertise and mentoring to support educators in the delivery of quality learning outcomes within robust good-practice systems
- Delivery of consistent messaging that is informed by good research, grounded in the values of The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, and highlighted by the value of learning in the outdoors, care for the environment and principles of the Tiriti o Waitangi
- Ensuring EONZ has a strong, transparent, honest and credible voice as the lead agency for EOTC
- Building strong inter-agency relationships and establishment of value-added collaborations to further shared outcomes
A nationally elected executive committee works on behalf of the membership, carrying both governance responsibilities and key roles and responsibilities across a range of EONZ activities. An executive officer works in a full-time capacity from a home office.
How we can support you
We can provide you with expert advice, resources and networking opportunities. We have the ability to construct and deliver professional development and training that includes:
- Embedding outdoor education into curriculum
- Sustainable curriculum
- Teaching and learning in the outdoors or outside the school gates
- Authentic learning contexts
- Real-life contexts
- Field trips
- Camp planning
- EOTC management
- EOTC guidelines
- Safety guidelines for outdoor education
- Policies and procedures for EOTC
- Policies and procedures for outdoor education
- Sustainable outdoor education
Annual Report for the year ending Dec 31, 2020, presented at the AGM of 22 April 2021
Annual Report for the year ending Dec 31, 2019, presented at the AGM of 21 May 2020
Annual Report for the year ending Dec 31, 2018, presented at the AGM of 28 March 2019
Annual Report for the year ending Dec 31, 2017, presented at the AGM of 3 May 2018