The rise of disciplines such as "eco-psychology" and the 2007 coining of the term "nature-deficit disorder" represent a renewed focus on the importance of the presence of "nature" in childhood. In his book, The Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv shows that the over scheduling of youth activities and the simultaneous rise of technology dependence and fall in direct experience with nature have had serious consequences for the mental and emotional health of America’s children. He finds links between decreased time spent in rural spaces and depression, anxiety, and ADHD, among other health concerns. Interestingly, Louv reports, the rise in obesity in the past few decades has correlated with the rapid increase in structured sports. So, if not just exercise, he asks, what are we missing? The resulting discipline is decidedly separate from its predecessors: “Studying the impacts of the natural world on the brain is actually a scandulously new idea,” Louv said.
In response to Louv's prodding and other evidence-based findings, programs inside and outside the formal education system have begun to recognize the concrete advantages of spending time outdoors and connecting with "nature." In rural Finland, kindergartens participate in "Forest Friday," a full day dedicated to unstructured outdoor learning - whatever the kids find and observe becomes the day's lesson. While some European institutions have been tapping into fields and creeks for decades (and have seen reductions in bullying and improvements in ADHD adaptations as a result), only in recent years have mainstream initiatives emerged to ensure that students in urban schools and settings are just as likely to reap the psychological, physical, and cognitive benefits of place-based and hands-on learning.
One app encourages kids in L.A. to get outside and learn about their subtly "natural" surroundings. Another movement is working to create child-friendly cities, by highlighting hyper local public spaces. KABOOM!, a national nonprofit, is enabling playground construction to eradicate persistent "play deserts." A Baltimore-based program employs ex-offender teenagers to beautify unused lots and simultaneously empower students with useful knowledge about urban agriculture. A preschool farm experiment shows that kids' notion of environmental stewardship can be strongly influenced, with important implications for the future of our planet. An organization in Oregon has even highlighted the importance of time spent in nature for formerly incarcerated adults working to reintegrate into society. For Outside, Brian Mockenhaupt explains, "We extol the power of the outdoors to bring balance and perspective. But is that benefit due only to the well-adjusted and trouble-free? Because here is a group that perhaps needs it more than any other."
This collection explores how noteworthy schools and organizations enable all students, regardless of location, class, age, and race, to learn from the "outdoors" - whether in a national park or a small green patch in an urban jungle.
Sources: Articles in this collection and Richard Louv's The Last Child in the Woods.
http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2016/03/could-urban-farms-be-the-preschools-of-the-future/472548
Eillie Anzilotti
Bloomberg CityLab
7 March 2016
Text / Under 800 Words
A group of architects proposed a new design to help raise environmentally responsible kids by combining farms and preschools.
https://www.outsideonline.com/2110396/great-escape
Brian Mockenhaupt
Outside
7 September 2016
Text / Over 3000 Words
The United States' incarcerated population makes up roughly 25% of the world's prisoners, but many are serving short terms and will be released back into society only to be asked to rebuild their life with little to no help or experiences gained during their time in prison. Groups like Sponsors - a program that takes formerly incarcerated adults into nature as part of a reintegration program - are working to change this re-entry process by using the outdoors as a place for former inmates to become reacquainted not just with the world, but also with themselves.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/09/kindergarten-naturally/500138
Timothy D. Walker
The Atlantic
15 September 2016
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Some European schools have long championed free play in the woods as a way to combat the increasingly mainstream idea of "nature-deficit disorder." In Finland, enthusiastic teachers dedicate all of Friday to outdoor "secret" education - students don't even realize they are learning academic lessons. Inspired by these models, scattered American schools are experimenting with the idea, with some finding reductions in bullying and improvements in test scores and focus issues.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/mobilizing-the-playground-movement
David Bornstein
The New York Times
13 June 2011
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Despite overwhelming evidence that play is vital for children’s physical, emotional and cognitive development, in recent decades, due to many factors, children’s outdoor play opportunities have declined markedly. For 15 years, KaBOOM! has been leading playground construction around the country, mostly in neighborhoods where at least 70 percent of children qualify for the federal government’s free and reduced-cost lunch program.
https://impact.vice.com/en_us/article/59dxd3/how-dirt-bikes-and-flower-gardens-are-helping-rebuild-baltimore
Emily Weitz
Vice
12 October 2017
Multi-Media / 800-1500 Words
'Tha Flower Factory' is setting out to help provide employment, mentor kids, and restore hopefulness and beauty to the city of Baltimore. This project employs individuals to plant flowers and seeds, helping bring down criminal records and change the landscape at the same time.
https://brightthemag.com/the-website-that-tells-kids-to-go-out-and-play-870dc32f1a4d?gi=770c2c121bf5
Doug Bierend
Bright Magazine
29 March 2017
Text / 800-1500 Words
In the age of iPhones and laptops, parents are always looking for ways to get their kids to ditch the screens and spend more time outside. One startup is turning to the very technology that has been critiqued as a solution to the dangers of "nature-deficit disorder." Tinkergarten is using an app to get kids and their parents to take the initial step out the door at which point, the startup's founders say, the technology fades to the background.
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