At-Risk Youths Might Get Back to Nature
the San Francisco Chronicle – February 25, 2007
By Tom Stienstra
Chronicle Staff Writer
If a proposal becomes law, California State Parks would create a new program to connect at-risk urban youths with nature and the great outdoors. SB 207, by Sen. Alex Padilla, emerged from a 2005 study that shows a few days in nature can beat a few weeks in the classroom.
At-risk children who participated in outdoor education programs "raised their science test scores by 27 percent, improved their conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, and experienced better self-esteem and motivation to learn," according to the California Department of Education.
The bill is sponsored by the Sierra Club and the American Diabetes Association. "This program will undoubtedly connect young people with nature who otherwise wouldn't have such opportunities," said Martin LeBlanc, National Youth Education Director for the Sierra Club. "It would create the next generation of citizens that appreciate the stunning natural environment this state provides."
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C&NN has designated April "Children & Nature Awareness Month." As part of this effort, we invited network members (like you) to list their April programs and share their strategies for building public awareness. Find out what's happening in your community on the C&NN Movement Map.
As part of our ongoing efforts to build the movement, the Children & Nature Network has published two new resources for leaders, organizers, and participants at the local, national, and international levels:
An annotated bibliography of 20 premier studies focusing on the children and nature connection.
