as people regardless of race, class, religion etc. Outdoor education also helps instill the basic elements of teamwork because participants often need to work together and rely on others. For many people a high ropes course or an outdoor activity may stretch their comfort zone and cause them to challenge themselves physically which in turn can lead to challenging oneself mentally. The roots of modern outdoor education can be found in the philosophical work of: Comenius John Dewey William James Aldo Leopold John Locke John Muir Jean-Jacques Rousseau Henry David Thoreau Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Foundational work on the philosophy of outdoor education includes work by: Kurt Hahn Willi Unsoeld A wide range of social science and specific outdoor education theories and models have been applied in an effort to better understand outdoor education. Amongst the key theoretical models or concepts are: Experiential education theories Group development theories the Outward Bound Process Model Stress, optimal arousal, comfort zone, and psychological flow theories Psychoevolutionary theory and the Biophilia hypothesis Around the world Outdoor education occurs, in one form or another, in most if not all countries of the world. However, it can be implemented very differently, depending on the cultural context. Some countries, for example, view outdoor education as synonymous with environmental education, whilst other countries treat outdoor education and environmental education as distinct. Modern forms of outdoor education are most prevalent in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and to some extent Asia and Africa. Many outdoor Education programs were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. UK The English Outdoor Council, an umbrella body, defines outdoor education as a way for students and teachers to be fully engaged in a lesson, all the while embracing the outdoors. The EOC deems outdoor education as "providing depth to the curriculum and makes an important contribution to students' physical, personal and social education.". In the UK, Learning through Landscapes champion the use of School Grounds as a cost effective, easily accessible place of learning and play. Forest School. is also fashionable in the UK, providing a very specialist approach to personal development within the wider context of Outdoor Learning. Australia and New Zealand Throughout Australia & New Zealand many school students undertake outdoor / outdoor and environmental education. Aust / NZ have several outdoor education degrees and vocational outdoor recreation programs. Once teachers and outdoor leaders have completed their studies, many