Schools

This Digest explores the community and environmental benefits of green schoolyards.

Anthill Creations is a not-for-profit based in Bangalore, India, committed to making play accessible to all children by using industrial waste to build safe, sustainable playscapes. This case study from India is part of the Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

The Institute for Nature Education and Sustainability (IVN) is an organization in the Netherlands that supports greening school grounds that are community-centered, multifunctional and government-led. This case study is part of the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

Based in Perú, the Asociación para la Niñez y su Ambiente (ANIA) develops Tierra de Niños (TiNis), or Children’s Lands, as a way of greening school grounds that are replicable, child-led, sustainable and educational. This case study is part of the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

Through an ethnobotanical garden at Dar Taliba Ourika girls’ boarding house in Morocco, the Global Diversity Foundation supports greening school grounds with an emphasis on ancestral knowledge, sustainable practices, and diversity and inclusion. This case study is part of the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

Les Cours OASIS is a program of the city of Paris that supports greening school grounds with an emphasis on climate resilience, policy and community. This case study from France is part of the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

The Climate Ready Schools program at Canadian nonprofit organization Evergreen supports greening school grounds that are climate adaptive, child-centered, scalable and partnership-focused. This case study is part of the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

Chilean nonprofit organization Fundación Patio Vivo supports greening school grounds that support different types of play and prioritizes equity and diversity by focusing their work where children are in most need of playing and learning opportunities in contact with nature. This case study is part of the Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

Through their program Lessons in Grass, Czech-based organization TEREZA supports greening school grounds that are place-based, research-minded, engaging and simple. This case study is part of the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

Green Cameroon is a non-governmental organization that works with children and youth to develop deep connections to nature and aid in the protection of the environment and conservation of biodiversity. This case study from Cameroon is part of the Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

The Município de Jundiaí in Brazil is one of the first entities in the country to adopt a series of recommendations on greening school ground and getting children outside through the Desemparedamento da Infância (“unwalled childhoods'') project. This case study from Brazil is part of the Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

Brazilian Movimento dos Quintais Brincantes, or “Playful Backyard Movement” supports connecting children with nature to improve health and environmental outcomes. This case study is part of the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

The City of Antwerp supports greening school grounds practices that enhance playing and learning opportunities for children and engage the broader community in the design process. This case study from Belgium is part of the Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

The Greening School Ground & Outdoor Learning Global Action Agenda was written by Salzburg Global Fellows to support the work that ensures that all children and communities have access to green school grounds and outdoor learning.

UK-based nonprofit Learning through Landscapes (LtL) supports greening school grounds with an emphasis on education, policy, inclusion and diversity. This case study is part of the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds and Outdoor Learning project, a joint initiative.

Use these Nature Activity Cards as inspiration to get out into nature and have some fun with family and friends! Cards are separated into two suggested age groups, 2-6 and 7-11 years old. They relate to topics such as urban animals, clouds, reptiles and frogs and are broken down into categories that incorporate play, acting, drawing, investigating and more. They can be downloaded and printed out for fun on the go.

Nature-based learning (NBL) is an educational approach that engages children with the natural environment and natural elements as a pathway for learning. The studies highlighted in this Digest focus on NBL during the early years and include a number of different research designs.

Australia’s Nurture in Nature expert Tania Moloney invited attendees of the 2022 Inside-Out International Conference to create a virtual Nature Quilt in celebration of the global children and nature movement. Not only will you find a beautiful piece of crowd-sourced art, you’ll learn about each quilter’s inspiration, natural materials used, and about the Indigenous land from where each square came. You can create your own Nature Quilt; find instructions here!

Discover recommentations from The City of Paris and their vision for an urban “oasis” that will improve the citizens’ life quality in the neighbourhood scale, considering that every Parisian resides in close proximity to a public school. The booklet describes the schoolyard transformation of Parisian preschools, elementary and middle schools into «cool islands», by integrating nature-based solutions for shading and storm-water management.

This report gives an overview of the first ten years of early childhood nature programs at Antioch University. It is written by C&NN’s co-founder and President and CEO Emerita Cheryl Charles.

This Digest reviews the health, well-being, and developmental benefits of nature engagement for young children, birth through age five, including Health, Well-being, & Overall Development; Enhanced Play; Learning & School Readiness, and Connectedness to Nature & Sustainability.

Evaluation of Anitoch University New England’s nature-based early childhood education initiative that includes graduate courses, a certificate program, conferences, consultations, and a professional
network.

Jaime Zaplatosch, C&NN Sr. Vice President, Green Schoolyards for Healthy Communities, joins a panel of expert for this webinar focused on increased use of outdoor learning spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to reducing virus risks, outdoor learning benefits students’ social, emotional, and mental well-being. Research shows that trees and gardens create better learning environments for students by alleviating mental fatigue, improving attention, and encouraging hands-on learning outdoors — all of which can bolster academic performance. Learn strategies for bringing trees and nature to school campuses and students of all ages. Find out how to design for success by anticipating roadblocks, identifying feasible opportunities, and engaging with key stakeholders.

This Digest focuses on ways in which technology can be a helpful or limiting factor for engaging children with nature.

Integrating nature and art in culturally relevant ways can promote children’s nature connectedness and mental health.

Watershed Public Charter School is redefining environmental arts learning and keeping kids connected to the natural world during COVID

Green schoolyards provide many proven benefits for kids, from enhancing academic achievement to promoting health and wellness.

This case study summarizes research findings about the positive outcomes of outdoor learning and shares schoolyard-learning tips and essentials for educators.

This set of guides (U.S. and international) outlines 99 activities designed to help pre-K through high school students explore living school grounds.

Resources, tips and ideas to prepare a class for the outdoors, manage students and transition back indoors, including a sample station rotation schedule, photo gallery, webinars, and more.

Sign up to receive this free Fall Playbook, full of ideas for play breaks, parenting tips, and expert advice designed to help your family thrive.

The toolkit from Austin Public Schools and the Austin Area School Garden Collaborative connects educators with relevant research, project examples, how-to information, and local resources.

Omaha Public School’s guide for reducing storm water on school grounds, including lesson plans for teachers and maintenance resources for administrators

The Providence Public School District distributes a request form to parents and guardians annually that, once signed, permits students to attend walking field trips to outdoor classrooms located nearby.

This Grounds for Change project helps schools develop outdoor curriculum and shares seven key steps for successful experiential learning programs in urban settings.

The Nature-Based Learning Collaborative Research Network (NBLR Network) presents a framework for research to advance the understanding and implementation of nature-based learning

Converging evidence from diverse fields offers causal support for nature’s impact on learning, development and environmental stewardship.

Baltimore City Public Schools has a robust and comprehensive approach to its green schools initiative that supports the health and well-being of students, families and the community.

This case study narrates the evolution of green schoolyards in San Francisco, and their supporting programming including Americorps-funded educators at many schools.

William Cramp Community School (K-5) serves as a prototype for greening schoolyards in Philadelphia.

Get2Green supports county-wide efforts to engage Pre-K-12 students in environmental stewardship, incorporate sustainability in the classroom, schoolyard greening throughout the district.

A rural green schoolyards program, Learning Landscapes takes advantage of preserved adjacent property and develops school grounds with trails, outdoor classroom areas and native plantings

Out Teach provides professional development, mentoring and modeling for schools with outdoor classrooms. Their program is highly successful and improves teacher and student motivation.

This case study highlights the program and funding that has allowed all schools in Santa Cruz, CA to have garden-based education as part of its district learning goals.

Green schoolyards inspire children to be more active, attentive and inquisitive, while decreasing stress and anxiety, elevating mood, and improving social emotional development. Green, multi-functional schoolyards also inherently serve as an ideal venue for hands-on learning across subjects, building knowledge through sensory exploration and experiential discovery. A talk about how to successfully activate the schoolyard to help students and teachers reap all of these benefits (and many more) during school hours.

Evidence-based infographic highlighting how green schoolyards can improve academic outcomes.

This declaration from the International School Grounds Alliance (ISGA) shows how beneficial risk is an important component of schoolyard design and use.

Resources for school-driven environmental projects on schoolyards.

Muddy Hands presents the evidence for outdoor learning and play. It draws on data from the Outdoor Classroom Day 2017 survey, as well as findings from a wide range of literature that highlights the benefits, barriers and solutions to getting children outdoors. Features a foreword from C&NN co-founder, Richard Louv.

This guide, created through a public review process, marries professional standards with environmental educators’ best practices in community engagement, including case studies and a 25-item toolkit.

Infographic illustrating the research on academic benefits of children’s nature connection.

This summary of the Natural Connections project in England, which followed students and teachers in 125 schools over four years, provides a compelling case and proven strategies for outdoor learning.

Evidence-based infographic highlighting how green schoolyards can increase children’s physical activity.

Evidence-based infographic highlighting how green schoolyards can enhance children’s mental health, social emotional learning, and well-being.

Evidence-based infographic highlighting how green schoolyards can encourage and offer a variety of options for beneficial play.

The NAP Outdoor Play and Learning Assessment employs the latest research on how early care and education programs can help children age five and under develop healthy habits.