The Outdoor Lab has made a major and positive impact on the welfare of thousands of school children. In this natural classroom, urban youth--often for the first time-- can run in a meadow, climb a mountain, hike beside a stream or fish in a pond. Visiting the Outdoor Lab allows children to see the fun and value of education and to learn, not only about the environment and the outdoors, but also that education is exciting. In addition, the Outdoor Lab has provided several opportunities for Boy Scouts to complete their Eagle projects.

The Outdoor Lab contains over 210 acres of forests, fields and hills. It has a spring-fed stream, a pond, nature hiking trails, plant and animal identification areas. Camping sites, a classroom, kitchen and dining facilities are used daily during the school year. An observatory includes a 10" reflecting telescope for astronomy studies. Four classes a week visit the Outdoor Lab, one of which has an overnight, and there are three week-long summer camps. In 1998, the Lab hosted four weekend open houses for Arlington children and their families.