Environmental Education on the Central Coast
Tucked away in the hills above San Luis Obispo is Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School, a natural preserve, a school campus, and an extraordinary learning resource. Here, on 250 protected acres, elementary students literally reach out and "touch" the natural world and explore their place within it.
Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School is "hands-on learning" - environmental education at its best - and the Rancho El Chorro staff has been providing it for over 35 years. More than 230,000 school children have enjoyed and benefited from the Rancho El Chorro facilities and program, and have left with a new sense of wonder of the natural world.
Program Goals
The curriculum, developed within California Science Framework guidelines, encourages students to trust their senses; it teaches the use of scientific equipment and scientific process - how to gather and organize data.
Learning here is fun! Groups of students hike across breathtaking terrain, identifying plants, insects, and wildlife. Students learn about the protection and wise use of natural resources. Students discover new interests and future hobbies and, in the process, they discover themselves.
As students participate in daily chores at Rancho El Chorro, they learn responsibility and build self-esteem. The group format encourages them to reach beyond themselves and accept each other's uniqueness. 
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