The Health and Learning Benefits of Green Schools for Our Children

Presenter: Tiffany Sauls, MD

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor p g g , classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

What do I know?
Trained in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Adult Psychiatry and Pediatrics Special interest in wilderness therapy Starting a green school for kids with ADHD, behavior problems, learning disabilities, depression, anxiety and social skills problems Avid outdoor enthusiast

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor p g g , classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

Crises facing our Children

Obesity Asthma/Allergies ADHD Mood Disorders Impaired social skills Poor academic achievement Nature-deficit disorder disorder

Nature-Deficit Disorder
Diminished use of the senses attention senses, difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illness due directly to alienation y from nature Our children no longer learn how to read the great Book of Nature from their own direct tB k fN t f th i di t experience or how to interact creatively with the seasonal transformations of the planet. p They seldom learn where their water comes from or where it goes. We no longer coordinate our human celebration with the great litergy of the heavens. - Wendell Berry

How Did We Get Here?

More time indoors
Increased time with electronics Increased exposure to environmental toxins

Less time outdoors and in nature Limited free p ay ted ee play

How did we get here?

More time indoors and with electronics I like to play indoors better cause thats where all the electrical outlets are - 4th grader in San Diego
( (from Last Child in the Woods)

Electronics
Children between 6 months and 6 years spend an average of 1.5 hours/day with electronic media Youth between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of 6.5 hours/day with electronic media (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005 and 2006)

How did we get here?

How did we get here?

Increased exposure to environmental toxins
Lead L d Inhalants Cleaning products Fumes

How did we get h ? H t here?

Limited exposure to outdoors/nature
Here is this vast, savage, howling mother of ours ours, Nature, lying all around, with such beauty, and such affection for her children, as the leopard; and yet we are so early weaned from her breast to society, to that culture which is exclusively an interaction of man on man -H Henry D id Th David Thoreau

Decreased time outdoors

85% of mothers agree that children play outside less today than just a few years ago 70% of mothers report playing outside every day when they were young, compared to only 31% of th i children (Cl f their hild (Clements, 2004) t In a typical week, only 6% of children, ages 9 to 13 l t 13, play outside on th i own t id their

Decreased time outdoors

From 1997 - 2003, there was a 50% drop in kids 9 -12 yrs old who spent time in outdoor activities such as hiking, walking, fishing, beach p y and g, g, play gardening (Hofferth and Sandberg, 2001; Hofferth and Curtin, Curtin 2006) Education-based outings at Ou doo Outdoor Discovery Ce e in sco e y Center Michigan are eye-opening

Limited free play

Play = the spontaneous activity in which children engage to amuse and to occupy themselves py Playtime - especially unstructured, imaginative, exploratory play - is an essential component of child ti l t f hild development Children no longer play play

How did we get here?

Between 1981 and 1997, free playtime decreased 25% Free play and discretionary time declined >9 hrs/week from 1981 - 2003 y 30% decrease in bicycle riding

What happened to free play?

Parents driving in circles to take children to school, after school activities, activities sports events dance class events, class, clubs, church and social activities

Obesity
Rates in children ha e increased have from 4% in the 60s to close to 20% in 2004 A 13 year old girl is 16 pounds heavier today than 30 years ago 60% of obese children, age 5 10, have at least one , cardiovascular disease risk factor p p JAMA reports an upward trend in high blood pressure in kids 8 - 18

Obesity

Obesity Ob it
Many health-care leaders worry that the current health care generation of children may be the first since World War II to die at an earlier age than their parents. 2007 Duke University Child and Well-Being Index: The most disturbing finding of the Index is not violence or abductions but that childrens health has abductions, sunk to its lowest point in the 30-year history of the Index, driven largely by an alarming rise in the number of children who are obese and a smaller decline in child mortality rates than achieved in recent years.

Asthma
Most common chronic disorder in childhood Affects 6 2 million kids under age 6.2 18; 1 in 10 of all school children 3rd leading cause of hospitalization among children under 15 hild d Annual direct health care cost is approx. $11.5 billion American Lung Association found that school children miss more than y y 14 million school days a year because of asthma

ADHD
AD/HD is relatively common, occurring in roughly 7% of school-age children (>2 schoolmillion affected in the USA) AD/HD is linked to poor academic performance AD/HD can have long-lasting longeffects on social development Many co-morbidities co-

ADHD

% ever diagnosed (2003)

ADHD
Attention Deficit Att ti D fi it Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is characterized by severe difficulties with inattention and impulsivity. Symptoms include: restlessness, outbursts, trouble listening, difficulty following directions, and f ll i di i d problems focusing on tasks

ADHD Treatment
Combination of behavioral therapies and stimulant medications Medication can have serious side effects They help only 9 out of 10 children with ADHD y p y There is no evidence they improve long-term longsocial and academic outcomes Cost and alternatives?

Mood Disorders
Culture of d C lt f depression i Approximately 10% of adolescents (2.2 million) experienced at least one major period of depression in the past year. Nearly two-thirds of children and adolescents y suffering from depression also had another mental health disorder (anxiety, substance abuse) Children and adolescents with major depressive disorder are much more likely to commit suicide.

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What i Wh t is a green school? h l? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

Issues Facing Schools

No Child Left Behind Less time outdoors and in physically active pursuits Less exposure to arts music and arts, creative pursuits Enhanced focus on t h l E h df technology Unhealthy school buildings

No Child Left Behind

2001 Elementary and y Secondary Education Act All students required to attain grade-level proficiency grade level in reading and math by 2014 Focus on standards testing standards, testing, accountability measures and teacher quality

No Child Left Behind

Requires states to set standards and develop assessments and annual measurable benchmarks and requires benchmarks, districts and schools to implement them States must test public schools in reading and math every year Goals for d G l f adequate yearly progress (AYP) t l

NCLB - Positive Aspects

Targeted at high poverty, low achieving poverty schools Plight f ti Pli ht of nations underserved children is d d hild i brought to light Goal of closing the achievement gap g y p End the soft bigotry of low expectations - G. W. Bush

Problems with NCLB

One size fits all approach Some students singled out, others ignored PSSA testing affects self-esteem Progress not rewarded, only grade-level

Problems with NCLB

Enhanced focus on test scores vs broader vision of education Focus on reading and math is narrowing education
Reading instruction has gained 40 minutes/week Social studies lost 17 minutes/week Science lost 23 minutes/week

Arizona Desert Elementary no longer teaches science or social studies as stand-alone subjects. Resulted in the school going from failing in 2004 to making AYP and earning a high-flying performing p plus designation by the AZ dept of education g y p

Problems with NCLB

Has not been effective 30,000 educators and concerned citizens have asked for repeal p Lawmakers in many states have threatened to opt out of NCLB

Limited exposure to Creative Pursuits

1/3 of public-school music programs pp years. were dropped in the last 10 y BUTStudents who studied the arts >4 years scored 44pts higher on math and 59 points higher on verbal section of SAT. SAT

Technology
Fools Gold, Silicon faith Moratorium on computer use in early childhood education 85 experts in Neurology, Psychiatry and Education, including Diane R it h i l di Di Ravitch (former US assistant secretary of Education) and Marilyn Benoit (President elect of AACAP) )

School Buildings
20% of Americans go to school everyday 14 million students attend schools considered below standard or dangerous Air is unfit to breathe in nearly 15,000 schools

School Buildings
Unfortunately, too many of Americas 55 million elementary through high school students attend schools that are unhealthy and unsound, and inhibit rather than foster learning learning. McElroy, President, American Federation of Teachers

School Buildings
Childrens health is disproportionately affected by indoor pollutants, while light and air quality affects their capacity to learn and succeed succeed. Fedrizzi, CEO, U.S. Green Building Council
Higher absenteeism g Increased respiratory ailments Low motivation Slower learning Sl l i Lower test scores Increased medical costs

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools p g g , Specific benefits of building design, outdoor classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

Green and Healthy School

Green = adopting behaviors that will allow schools t operate efficiently f ll h l to t ffi i tl for natural resource conservation, sustainability and create a healthier environment. Healthy =
human health (nutrition, physical activity, safety) health of the natural environment (clean air, water, and land) health of constructed environments (classrooms, cafeterias, (classrooms cafeterias and school grounds)

Attributes of a Green and Healthy School

1) A team of students, teachers and school administrators who work together to provide safe, healthy g learning areas 2) A building that operates at high performance levels for natural resource conservation and sustainability

Attributes of a Green and Healthy School

3) An outdoor area used for authentic, place-based education 4) Closes the student achievement gap using the environment as an integrated learning context 5) Extends into the community encouraging environmentally-friendly practices at home, work and play

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor p g g , classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

Benefits of green schools

Physical health: obesity, asthma and other respiratory illnesses Mental h lth ADHD, depression, social M t l health: ADHD d i i l skills, self-esteem Educational: problem solving academic problem-solving, achievement, creativity Community: better relationships, healthier y p , natural environment, teaches sustainable practices

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor p g g , classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

Green Building Design

Less toxic materials p quality y Improved ventilation and air q Natural lighting Sustainable practice Decreased resource consumption

Benefits of Green Design

Health benefits - asthma, allergies, respiratory illness, cold, flu Decreased absenteeism Lowered health care costs Improved school performance Closing the achievement gap Promotes learning opportunities and environmental stewardship

Improved Air Quality

25% - 38.5% reduction in asthma 51% reduction in respiratory illness (common cold, flu) Decreased health care costs (paid by parents, not schools)

Natural Lighting
Improved test scores Reduced off-task off task behaviors More daylight More fosters higher student achievement.

Closing the Achievement Gap

Children in low income families are 30% y p y to 50% more likely to have respiratory problems that lead to absenteeism and g diminished learning and test scores Greening public schools creates an opportunity to improve the health and educational settings for all students

Building Design Green Views

Inner-city housing projects in Chicago Presence of trees outside apartment buildings predicted: b ildi di t d
less procrastination, better coping skills, and less severe assessment of their problems among women (Kuo, 2001) greater self-discipline among girls (Taylor et al., 2002) reduced crime, less violence and better social relationships (Kuo and Sullivan, 2001)

Building Design Green Views

Green plants and natural vistas linked with reduced stress among highly-stressed children in rural areas Results most significant where there are the greatest number of plants, green views, and access to natural play areas (Wells and Evans, 2003) Prison inmates whose cells faced a courtyard had 24% more illness than those who had a view of farmland

Educational Enrichment
Hands-on educational opportunities teach about sustainability:
On it O site renewable energy generation bl ti Water conservation features Green technologies Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore): By using alternatives to toxic chemicals, pursuing green building and maintenance practices changing resource practices, consumption habits, serving nutritious food, and teaching students to be steward of their communities, we ll well help put future generations at the forefront of sustainable development.

Benefits of outdoor classrooms

Increased opportunity for experiential, handson learning Natural N t l curiosity leads t scientific l i it l d to i tifi learning i Connecting to the Earth and nature is therapeutic Green playgrounds provide opportunity for free play p y

Environment as an Integrated Context for Learning (EIC)

Closing the Achievement Gap (1998): School achievement is enhanced when youth experience school curricula in which the environment is the principal organizer Improvements in:
Standardized test scores Grade point average Behavior Engagement and enthusiasm enth siasm Ability and willingness to stay on task Adaptability to various learning styles Civility t Ci ilit toward others d th

Experiential Learning
Significant student gains in social studies, science, language arts and math Science testing scores improved 27% when students involved in outdoor science programs (American Institutes for Research, 2005) Research

Green school grounds

Children have increased activity, are more aware of nutrition and more civil to one another More likely to engage in creative forms of play and play more cooperatively (Bell and Dyment, 2006) Natural spaces and materials stimulate childrens limitless imaginations and serve as the medium of inventiveness and creativity. Robin Moore (international authority on environment design for childrens play, learning and education)

School Ground Naturalization

A process involving students, teachers, and often administrators and community volunteers in the collaborative improvement of school grounds for the purpose of addressing the healthy p y g y physical, social, , , emotional, and intellectual development of students. Stimulates l Sti l t play and l d learning th i i thus improving i health and education

Free Play y
Beneficial to learning and development Children are smarter, more cooperative, Child t ti happier and healthier Allows children t i iti t activity rather All hild to initiate ti it th than waiting for an adult to direct them Induces curiosity and th use of I d i it d the f imagination

Free Play
Enhances cognitive flexibility, problemsolving ability, self-esteem, and selfdiscipline Promotes executive functioning Improves social skills g Promotes emotional intelligence Promotes emotional well-being ( p (depression, anxiety, aggression, sleep) , y, gg , p)

Benefits of community involvement and environmental focus

Stronger sense of community Better community health Active involvement of parents p Healthier natural environment Creation of a sense of place

Benefits of community involvement and environmental focus

Place-based education - can bond a student to their community and the environment, giving them a sense of belonging and meaning i Promotes current and future environmental stewardship and protection of our natural resources Provides a sense of hope and personal responsibility

Benefits of Nature Exposure

Reduced symptoms of ADHD and other behavior problems Improved self-esteem and self-worth I d lf t d lf th Decreased depression and anxiety Improved cognitive abilities I d iti biliti Improved physical health Stress reduction

Nature Exposure
John Muir - I am well again, I came to life in the cool winds and crystal waters of the mountains. Nancy Wells (environmental psychologist at Cornell U i C ll University): Th protective impact of it ) The t ti i t f nature is strongest for the most vulnerable children - those experiencing the highest levels of stressful life events.

Benefits of Nature Exposure

Environmental psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan have linked contact with nature to restored attention, the promotion of recovery from mental fatigue, and enhanced mental focus (Kaplan & Kaplan 1989; Kaplan 1995) Kaplan, Kaplan, Restorative influences of the natural world

The Restorative Environment

Directed attention (classroom) vs involuntary attention (fascination/wonder) Direct attention fatigue = ADHD If you can find an environment where the attention is automatic, you allow directed attention to rest. The fascination factor of being immersed in a whole other world (nature) is restorative.

Nature exposure
Nature experience linked to better academic performance Proximity t P i it to, views of, and daily exposure t i f d d il to natural settings is associated with childrens ability to focus and enhances cognitive abilities (Wells, 2000) Children with more nature near their home score lower on scales of behavioral conduct disorder, anxiety and depressionand rate themselves higher on self-worth

Nature and ADHD

Symptoms of ADHD are reduced when children have regular access to the out-ofdoors University of Illinois study (Faber Taylor et al., 2001; Kuo and Faber Taylor, 2004): the greener a childs everyday environment, the more manageable their symptoms Parents note fewer symptoms and increased focus immediately following outdoor activities (camping and fishing) vs indoor activities (video games)

Nature and ADHD

Unpublished study from the University of Illinois (Taylor, Kuo): Attention performance for unmedicated kids with ADHD was better after a 20 minute walk in the p park vs a 20 minute walk downtown or in a residential area.

Wilderness experience
NOLS and Outward Bound - trips are therapeutic for psychological disorders, addiction, developmental and cognitive disabilities Inner city children show increased self-esteem and g p g p well-being after spending the summer in rural camps (Readdick and Shaller, 2005) Adults who participate in wilderness excursions describe an increased sense of aliveness, well an aliveness wellbeing, and energy, and make healthier lifestyle choices afterwards (Greenway, 1995)

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor p g g , classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

Examples of green schools and programs

Evergreens Learning Grounds Program (Canada) Third Creek Elementary (Statesville, NC) (St t ill Clearview Elementary School (Pennsylvania) S h l (P l i ) Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools Program

Evergreen s Evergreens Learning Grounds

Evergreen Canada Initiative (Toyota is title sponsor) Established in 1993 to bring students teachers students, and neighborhoods together to transform barren asphalt and turf school grounds into natural outdoor classrooms Over 1,000 schools have enhanced the opportunities for learning and play on their grounds by planting trees, shrubs and wildflowers, planning meadows and ponds, and creating murals sculptures vegetable gardens murals, sculptures, and other theme areas.

Third Creek Elementary

Countrys first LEED gold K-12 school p performing schools g Replaced two lower p Improvement from less than 60% of g g students on grade level in reading and math to 80% on grade level in both g performance of Most gains in academic p any of the 32 schools in the school system

Clearview Elementary
2002 LEED Gold building Substantial improvements in health and test scores 19% increase in Student Oral Reading Fluency scores

KY Green & Healthy Schools Program (KGHS)

New, voluntary effort to empower students and staff with the tools needed to take action and make their school operate at peak efficiency Two pronged Two-pronged approach
New or renovated schools may include a green and healthy design from the start Existing h l E i ti schools participate as students inventory ti i t t d t i t current school operations and environments and implement action plans to improve school health and sustainability. d t i bilit

KGHS
21 regional schools have chosen to participate Will do improvement p j p projects involving
Water, waste, energy Health d f t H lth and safety Transportation Instructional leadership p Green spaces Indoor air quality and hazardous chemicals

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor p g g , classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

School as a Therapeutic Environment

Green schools could be used a tool for treatment of many childhood disorders: Obesity ADHD Mood Disorders p Social skills problems

Therapeutic Schools
Children with mental health issues are seen one-ata-time by pediatricians and psychiatrists Interventions such as therapy and medications are falling short Perhaps our focus is off: We are trying to return the most affected t il of population di t ib ti t the t ff t d tail f l ti distribution to th mean, rather than recognizing that the entire population needs to move toward mental well-being bringing l b i i along th di ff t d - a shift that can only the disaffected hift th t l occur by shaping the environment at large. (Jackson, 2008)

Physical Health
The Nations Health (Oct 2007): For public health workers, the effects of sedentary indoor lifestyles are already d t i d lif t l l d evident among children: startling rates of obesity, the onset of one-time adult one time conditions such as diabetes and a shortened life expectancy. Thankfully, though, the movement t reconnect kid with nature has t to t kids ith t h seen a rejuvenation in the last few years, and e pe s predict a experts p ed c that good health will be a ea major motivator in bringing families back to nature.

Mental Health
UK study (April 2007): showed benefits of green green treatment (ecotherapy) 71% of those with mental health disorders report decrease in depression or tension after taking a walk in the woods or gardening Mind (UK National Association for Mental Health), chief executive: Mi d sees ecotherapy as an hi f ti Mind th important part of the future for mental health. Its a credible, clinically-valid treatment option and needs to be b prescribed b GP especially when f many ib d by GPs, i ll h for people access to treatments other than antidepressants is extremely limited.

Therapeutic Gardens
Experiential learning through gardening and other nature connections can be therapeutic Mental health pioneer Dr. Benjamin Rush - Digging in the soil has a gg g curative effect on the mentally ill. Frumkin (CDC): Perhaps we will advise patients t t k a f d i ti t to take few d days i in the country, to spend time gardening. Psychiatry pioneer Carl Menninger horticulture therapy movement

Therapeutic Schools
University of Illinois study on ADHD and Nature (Taylor, Kuo, Sullivan; 2001) recommendations:
Encourage kids to study or play in rooms with a view of nature Encourage kids to play outdoors in green spaces, and advocate recess in green schoolyards. This may be especially helpful for renewing childrens children s concentration. Plant and care for trees and vegetation; caring for trees means caring for people people.

Free (play) Therapy

Free play = therapy g Cultivates a range of social and emotional capabilities, i.e. emotional intelligence
Empathy Flexibility Self-awareness Self-regulation

Free (play) Therapy

Studies in adults link physical activity to:
Diminished depressive symptoms Decreased anxiety acutely and over time Improved mood and emotional well-being

Learning at a critical period in development that play and movement relieves stress and enhances mood may help children sustain physical activity patterns over their lifetime. Burdette (2005)

Healthy Schools
James Sallis (Active Living Research Program for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation): Based on previous studies we can definitely say that the best studies, predictor of preschool childrens physical activity is simply being outdoors, and that an indoor, sedentary childhood is linked to mental health problems. Start with pre-schools for healthy development

School as a Therapeutic Environment

Howard Frumkin, MD, MPH, DrPH, director of the CDC National Center for Environmental Health
Perhaps theorganizations that pay for health care will come to fund such interventions, especially if they prove to rival pharmaceuticals in cost and efficacy. Frumkin agrees that we need more research on the relationship between nature experiences and health but We know health, but, We enough to act.

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor p g g , classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

What Do We Do?
The decline in childrens experience of nature will not change until a fundamental shift occurs in attitudes and practices of developers, designers, educators, political leaders, and ordinary citizens. The enormous , y challenge facing us is how to minimize and mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of the modern built environment and how to provide more positive opportunities for contact with nature among children and adults as an integral part of everyday life. - Dr. Stephen R. Kellert, Building for Life

Call to Action
Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, published 2005 April 24, 2006: Louv calls for a nationwide campaign to Leave No Child Inside and a movement to reconnect children with nature Leave No Child Inside vs. No Child Left Behind

No Child Left Inside

April 2006 - Children and Nature Network (C&NN) established t build and support the Leave N Child t bli h d to b ild d t th L No Inside movement More than 40 state and regional campaigns Adirondacks, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, San Francisco Bay Area, Connecticut, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, New York, Texas, British Columbia, Netherlands

Children and Nature Movement Principles

Parents, guardians, educators, health care professionals and other individuals responsible for the welfare of children, must know about the health, emotional and cognitive benefits of nature for children Parents and other positive adults (teachers) must be intentional about taking children into nature The benefits of the nature experience for children and families must be part of the international, national and community d b t about the future of health care it debates b t th f t f h lth and public health, education, economics, and the health of natural ecosystems

National Forum on Children and Nature

Conservation Fund Governors, mayors, Governors mayors cabinet secretaries, corporate CEOs, non government non-government organizations Help raise awareness about the problems facing our children and the role that nature can play in addressing these problems

Call to Action
Concerns about long-term consequences affecting emotional well-being, physical health, health learning abilities environmental abilities, consciousness - have spawned a national movement to leave no child inside. In recent months, it has been the focus of Capitol Hill hearings, state legislative action, grassroots projects, U.S. projects a U S Forest Service initiative to get more children into the woods and a national effort to promote a green hour in each day. -Washington Post, June, 2007

Legislative Action
Outdoor Classroom initiative approved in New Mexico M i Leave No Child Inside initiative by Washington Gov. g y Christine Gregoire allocates $1.5 million/year to outdoor programs working with underserved children California has established long-term funding for outdoor education and recreation programs serving at-risk youth Nationally: New caucus in the US House of Representatives to raise awareness of and promote the benefits of green schools Nationally: No Child Left Inside Act introduced in the House and S H d Senate, d i t designed t b i environmental d to bring i t l education back to the classroom

Program Support
Parents don t act because of fear dont (stranger danger) and generational amnesia Need to support organizations and institutions that help reconnect children with nature:
Green schools Camps p Outdoor education programs Scouts Nature centers N t t

Local Government
Could help launch a Leave No Child Inside p campaign in our area Legislators can introduce bills to establish nature education partnerships among parks and schools, d i hi k d h l educators and farmers Build collaborations between the Departments of Interior, Education, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services that focus on children and nature

Education Reform
Return nature to our schools R t t t h l Encourage field trips, natural playgrounds, outdoor classrooms Support educators who are sponsoring nature clubs, nature classroom activities, and nature , , field trips Support environmental education in the classroom and experiential l l d i ti l learning outdoors i td Support existing and new nature-themed schools

Education Reform
Green the schoolyards and the K-12 curricula U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Schoolyard Habitat program Project Learning Tree and Project WILD

Establish farms and ranches as the new schoolyards (New Mexico is looking into this already) Work f W k for reform of the No Child Left Behind f f th N L ft B hi d Act, at the national, state and local levels

Health Care Reform

Educate the population on how the environment can improve health Health H lth care providers should establish id h ld t bli h childrens contact with nature as a leading public health issue Pediatricians and other health professionals could support a Grow Outside! campaign to promote the physical and mental health benefits of nature play.

Health Care Reform

At the national level, health care associations should support nature therapy as an addition to the traditional approaches to attentiondeficit disorders and childhood depression. Free play i natural surroundings and nature F l in t l di d t therapy would be most easily incorporated into a school day at a green school green school.

Spread the Word!

Offer presentations to school boards, p parent-teacher associations and similar groups, making the case for the educational benefits of nature experience for children and young p p people.

Research
Interest in the relationship of nature experiences to human health, cognition, creativity and well being is growing well-being Need to conceptually expand areas of study for future research Economic studies of the regional and national impact of the nature-deficit
Measure potential health savings Improved school performance Financial impact of expanded nature recreation for children and young people

Research - Economic
Establish ways to measure the economic importance of nature
Include th I l d the positive economic impact on the iti i i t th publics mental and physical health, education, and jobs

Establish baseline measurements of the nature deficit, so that progress can be measured and reported Include annual progress measurements in new or existing reports on childrens health g p and educational status

Research
*While most research has been done on adults, a growing body of evidence suggests the positive power of nature engagement during the most vulnerable years of human development*

Take Home Message

Our lti t O ultimate goal i d l is deep cultural lt l change, connecting children to nature, so that they can be healthier, happier and smarter. , pp

Case Study
The back page of the October issue of San Francisco magazine displays a vivid photograph of a small boy, eyes wide with excitement and joy leaping and running on a joy, great expanse of California beach, storm clouds and towering waves behind him. A short article explains that the boy was hyperactive, he had been kicked out of his school, school and his parents had not know what to do with him - but they observed how nature engaged and soothed him. So for years they took their t k th i son t b to beaches, f h forests, d t dunes and d rivers to let nature do its work.

Case Study
The photograph was taken in 1907. The boy was Ansel Adams Adams.

Goals and Objectives

Crises facing children today Issues affecting schools and the educational system What is a green school? General benefits of green schools Specific benefits of building design, outdoor p g g , classrooms, green playgrounds, environmental study, exposure to nature Examples of green schools School as a therapeutic environment Call to action Questions

Questions

References
1) 2) Bell, A.C. Bell A C and Dyment J E Grounds for Action: Promoting Physical Dyment, J.E. Grounds Activity through School Ground Greening in Canada. 2006 Evergreen. Burdette, H.L., MD, MS; and Whitaker. R.C., MD, MPH. Resurrecting Free Play in Young Children: Looking Beyond Fitness and Fatness to Attention, Affiliation and Affect. Arch Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2005; 159:46-50. California Student Assessment Project Phase Two: The Effects of j Environment-Based Education on Student Achievement. SEER: Poway, CA, 2005. Available at www.seer.org Charles, C., Louv, R., Bodner, L., and Guns, B. (2008). Children and Nature 2008: A Report on the Movement to Reconnect Children to the Natural World. Children and Nature Network. Available at: http://www.cnaturenet.org Effects of Outdoor Education Programs for Children in California. American Institutes for Research: Palo Alto CA: 2005 Available on Alto, 2005. the Sierra Club web site.

3) )

4)

5)

References
6) 7) Frumkin, H, MD and Louv, R. Conserving Land; Preserving Human Health. Land Trust Alliance - Special Report in The Future of Land Conservation in America; 23-25. Jackson, R.J., MD, Jackson R J MD MPH and Tester J MD MPH Environment Tester, J., MD, MPH. Environment Shapes Health, Including Childrens Mental Health. JAACAP, 2008; 47(2), 129-31. Kats, Gregory (2006). Greening Americas Schools: Costs and Benefits. Available at: http://www.cap-e.com Kellert, Stephen R. Nature and Childhood Development. In Building for Life: Designing and Understanding the Human-Nature Connection. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2005. g , , Kuo, F.E. and Taylor, A.F. A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence from a National Study. In American Journal of Public Health, 94(9). 2004. American Public Health Association Association.

8) 9)

10)

References
11) Lieberman, G A and Hoody L L Closing the Achievement Gap: Lieberman G.A. Hoody, L.L. Closing Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning. SEER: Poway, CA, 1998. California Student Assessment Project. SEER: Poway, CA, 2000. Available at: www.seer.org 12) Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Louv Richard Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. 2005. 13) Nature Nurtures: Investigating the Potential of School Grounds. 2000 Evergreen. www.evergreen.ca 14) Taylor, A.F., Kuo, F. Is Contact with Nature Important for Healthy Child Development? State of the Evidence. In Spencer, C & Blades, M (Eds), Children and Their Environments: Learning, Using and Designing Spaces. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, g g p g , g y , 2006.

References
15) Taylor, A.F., Kuo, F., and Sullivan, W.C. (2001). Coping with ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings. Environment and Behavior, 33(1), 54-77. Available at: http://www.lhhl.uiuc.edu 16) Taylor, A.F., Kuo, F., and Sullivan, W.C. (2001). Views of Nature and Self-Discipline: E id S lf Di i li Evidence f from I Inner Cit Child City Children. I Th J In The Journal of l f Environmental Psychology, 21. 17) Wallis, C. and Steptoe, S. How to Fix No Child Left Behind, Education Special Report Time Magazine; 169 (23) 34-41 Report. (23), 34-41. 18) Wells, N.M. At Home with Nature: Effects of Greenness on Childrens Cognitive Functioning. Environment and Behavior, 32(6), 775-795. 19) Wells, N.M. and Evans, G.W. Nearby Nature: A Buffer of Life Stress Among Rural Children. Environment and Behavior, 35(3), 311-330.

Additional Resources
Children and Nature Network Child dN t N t k www.cnaturenet.org The Sheltowee School www.sheltoweeschool.org KY Green and Healthy Schools Initiative www.greenschools.ky.gov Green Schools www.buildgreenschools.org Life Adventure Center www.lifeadventurecenter.org

For more information

Contact Tiffany Sauls, MD at tsaulsmd@gmail com tsaulsmd@gmail.com or call 859-489-7106