Opportunities for Arlington High Schoolers at the Lab

The Outdoor Lab welcomes Arlington high school students who wish to volunteer at the Lab throughout the school year. Students in grades 9-12 are also welcome to apply for summer camp junior counselor positions, hired through APS. Please see below for details about the various ways we welcome teens to get involved at the Lab.

visitors wait to board boats on the pond

  • Apply to serve as a Student Board Member: In 2021, the AOEA began a student Board Member program offering an opportunity for select APS students who have benefitted from the Outdoor Lab and want to give back. The student Board Member participates in monthly AOEA board meetings mostly via Zoom, offering advice and voting on AOEA business. They participate in AOEA events at the Outdoor Lab and in Arlington and act as a liaison to their schools and student groups in APS.

    If you are a rising Junior or Senior at an APS high school and are interested in applying, please fill out our brief application (2026-27 school year applications are due March 31, 2026) or contact AOEA at secretary@outdoorlab.org with any questions.

  • Summer Camp Counselors-in-Training/Junior Staff: APS conducts three weeks of overnight summer camp, July 6-10, July 13-17 and July 20-24. Current students in grades 9 through 12 are invited to apply for a volunteer CIT/junior staff position; applications are due Fri., March 27.
  • Volunteer: Students can earn service hours at our Spring (April 18) and Fall (tbd) Open Houses or at other volunteer work days throughout the year; please sign up here to hear about upcoming volunteer needs. We also welcome high school seniors to work with the Lab for their senior experience; please reach out to volunteer@outdoorlab.org to inquire about opportunities.

September 2025 Lab Notes

Back-to-School at the Outdoor Lab! In this month’s issue of Lab Notes:

students paddle the pontoon at the Outdoor Lab

  • School Year Kick-Off: We’re so excited that APS students are back at the Lab. Field trips started earlier this month and fifth grade overnights will begin in early October. In alignment with Virginia science education standards, Lab lesson plans are honed by Lab staff and classroom teachers together.
    • 3rd graders learn how seasonal changes affect both terrestrial and aquatic creatures as they examine habitats
    • 5th graders focus on geological features while hiking
    • 7th graders work on animal classifications, ecology and mapping while exploring the acreage
    • High schoolers map the terrain, test the water quality and participate in ecology “deep dives”
  • Fall Open House Sun. Oct. 19:
    Join us for our fall Open House on Sunday, October 19th from 10am – 2pm. Registration link will be posted soon! Bring your friends and family to hike, fish and eat s’mores. We also welcome volunteers to help show families around — please signup here if you can spare a few hours: Open House Volunteer Form.
  • Help Shape the Future of the Outdoor Lab!  As we move towards creating new learning facilities at the Outdoor Lab, we are forming an Environmental Education Advisory Committee to help review our current practices and inform our decisions moving forward. If you are an Outdoor Lab alum working in science or current or former educator, we would love to have you join us!

    To learn more, please contact vp@outdoorlab.org or fill out our Volunteer Interest Form

    Also…

  • Thank you to all who visited us at the Arlington County Fair and shared your memories of the Lab! We will share the stories collected in future issues of Lab Notes.
  • Legacy Planning: As you plan for your future, we hope that you will consider a gift in your estate plan to support of Arlington Outdoor Education Association. You can make a bequest in your will and/or make AOEA the beneficiary of your IRA or life insurance policy. For more information, please contact Colleen Levine at vp@outdoorlab.org.

Read it here: September 2025 Lab Notes newsletter

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July 2025 Lab Notes

In this month’s issue of Lab Notes:

summer campers and Smoky Bear at the Outdoor Lab

  • School Year 2024-25 Wrap Up from Director Scott McKeown
  • Summer Camp 2025: The Outdoor Lab, in partnership with Arlington Public Schools’ summer school programs, hosted three weeks of awesomely fun summer camp! Over 75 elementary and middle school campers participated.If you have pictures to share of your students’ time at the Lab, please send them to memories@outdoorlab.org or tag #lovetheODL on social media.

    Also…

  • Thanks for Brandon King, Eagle Scout for the expanded cookout area!
  • & Come see us at the Arlington County Fair indoor exhibit hall, Friday, Aug. 15 – Sunday, Aug. 17.

Read it here: July 2025 Lab Notes newsletter

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May 2025 Lab Notes

In this month’s issue of Lab Notes:

  • School Year Wrapping Up at the Lab: It’s hard to believe another school year is almost over! Scott McKeown, APS Lab Supervisor, commented, “It never gets old — seeing the joy and wonder on kids’ faces as they spend time here.” School year field trips to the Lab are winding down now with the final three fifth-grade overnight trips this month. Day trips will continue through early June, and then Lab staff turn their attention to planning for the three weeks of summer camp in late June and July. We are excited to welcome this year’s summer campers!

    If you have pictures to share of your students’ time at the Lab, please send them to memories@outdoorlab.org or tag #lovetheODL on social media.

    Also…

  • 85-Acre Land Acquisition
  • Welcome New Board Members and Officers
  • Honoring Retiring Board Members: Paul Diehl, Mike Maleski, Anita Knipling Scott, and our outgoing student board members Cassidy Greenwalt YHS’25 and Margaret Flannery-Goodman YHS ’25.

Read it here: May 2025 Lab Notes newsletter

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March 2025 Lab Notes

In this month’s issue of Lab Notes:

  • Spring Open House & Annual Meeting will be Sunday, May 4
  • Good News for the Outdoor Lab in APS proposed FY26 Budget
  • Applications for Student Board Member due March 31; Teens also needed for Summer Camp Counselor-in-Training
  • “I was in 4th or 5th grade and my group was walking up the Martin Trail and we came across an eastern rat snake and then there was a quick impromptu lesson about snakes and eastern rat snakes specifically. It was just a really cool opportunity made possible by the environment that we were in and the staff that were there leading us through it.”
    … and more Memories from the Lab!

high school volunteers at the animal lab

Read it here: March 2025 Lab Notes newsletter

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