Curriculum Design: How Happy Hollow is Expanding Year-Round Outdoor Learning
Case Study
Happy Hollow Children’s Camp, an Indiana nonprofit, partnered with Viristar to create high-quality curriculum that strengthens outdoor learning and impact
Who We Worked With
Happy Hollow Children’s Camp, a nonprofit organization offering summer camp experiences of learning and adventure, and delivers field trip programs during the academic year.
What They Needed
Happy Hollow sought high-quality curriculum materials for its summer and school-year programs to help advance its 2024–2028 strategic plan, strengthen support for its audiences, and enhance the organization’s financial sustainability.
How We Helped
Viristar facilitated collaborative curriculum design sessions with Happy Hollow’s team and provided consulting support to guide the development of the deliverables.
What They Got
Happy Hollow received a suite of program schedules, lesson plans, staff training materials, and resources for establishing a multi-year “adventure camp” experience.
Opportunity
Happy Hollow Children’s Camp, based in Brown County, Indiana, USA, has provided outdoor learning experiences to over 45,000 youth since 1951, with a focus on serving children from underserved communities, including those in foster care and from economically disadvantaged households.
As the organization looked to expand and enhance its impact, several challenges emerged:
- Happy Hollow’s 2024–2028 strategic plan emphasized the need to offer year-round outdoor learning and establish a multi-year adventure education curriculum but additional expertise was required to realize this vision.
- The existing camp programming lacked a clear progression model, limiting opportunities for skill development over multiple years.
- Instructional content was not consistently aligned with academic standards, reducing its educational integration.
- Staff training materials were insufficiently developed, affecting instructional consistency and program delivery.
“We have very limited bandwidth to create new programs and found ourselves often falling back on repetitive themes because we are familiar with certain programs. We also have limited options to implement during summer camp and wanted to start diversifying our weeks of programming.”
Serae Neidigh, Camp Manager
Solution
To address these needs, Happy Hollow partnered with Viristar to deliver a comprehensive curriculum development package, including:
Field Trip Schedules and Lesson Plans
- Four sample schedules were created for grades 3 through 6, progressively increasing in length and complexity (day trip through three-night trip).
- The schedules incorporated Indiana Academic Standards for Earth and Space Science and Life Science, where feasible.
- Corresponding lesson plans for each grade level were designed to build on each other, supporting year-over-year progression and school group return visits.
- Lesson plans followed a structured template and included learning outcomes, assessments, safety considerations, and nature-based activities.
Lesson Plan Development Guide
- A detailed primer was produced to help Happy Hollow staff create their own lesson plans.
- The guide covered educational theory, curriculum components, templates, and best practices in environmental education and outdoor learning progression.
Adventure Camp Program Design
- A new summer camp theme, “Adventure Camp,” was developed for three age groups (7–9, 10–11, and 12–14).
- Each age group received a dedicated schedule, complete lesson plan, and activity descriptions.
- Outputs also included staff position descriptions and a handbook outlining standard operating procedures and safety guidelines.
“The Adventure Camp material gives us a way to test a new concept and base other themed camps around this model! The field trip curricula and lesson plans are currently being advertised to recruit new school-year groups, which provide funding for our affordable summer camp and allow us to continue to follow our mission!”
Serae Neidigh, Camp Manager
Impact
Viristar’s contributions equipped Happy Hollow with a structured curriculum to support developmental progression across both academic-year field trips and summer camp programs. By delivering standards-based programming for grades 3 through 6, the project enhanced the organization’s ability to offer consistent and engaging educational experiences. The tools and templates provided allow for expansion, allowing staff to continue building curriculum internally. The new Adventure Camp theme introduced a multi-year summer program that fosters personal growth and outdoor skill development among participants. Additionally, the inclusion of staff role descriptions, training materials, and standard operating procedures strengthened recruitment and instructional delivery. These efforts advance Happy Hollow’s strategic goals and deepen its capacity to provide high-quality outdoor education experiences.
“This would have been a massive project for us to take on, and Viristar made the process so easy!”
Serae Neidigh, Camp Manager
