Santa Rosa, CA January 4, 2010 -- Nature makes our kids smarter. And it makes them happier and healthier too. Sound familiar?
Outdoor Discoveries in AlaskaIt should. In the past decade, dozens of studies have probed the connection between the out-of-doors, and our kids' health, happiness and achievement. What has emerged indicates nothing less than a strong primal link between nature, and human happiness. And new studies continue to underscore those findings...namely that getting outside is a tonic for what ails us...and our kids. A recent survey by the not for profit Earth Explore Foundation found that students who participated in its outdoor education programs were more likely to be motivated in the classroom, to exhibit significant leadership skills, and to pursue science studies in college.
Students who participate in outdoor EE programs are more likely to be motivated in the classroom In fact, from Holland to England to inner city Chicago, research over the past ten years has repeatedly found that exposure to nature, and outside activities, makes people happier, less depressed, and healthier. The Nation’s Health, the official newspaper of the American Public Health Association, recently made clear what's at stake: “For public health workers, the effects of sedentary indoor lifestyles are already evident among children: startling rates of obesity, the onset of one-time adult conditions such as diabetes and a shortened life expectancy."
And what about student achievement? Major studies in Washington, California and Florida, among others, show that exposure to outdoor education and environmental education programs have broad positive effects on our kids' achievement in all academic pursuits. One major study showed a 27 percent improvement, after just a short outdoor experience. In a word, students who got nature education out-achieved their peers, and continued to excell right into college and beyond.
The Earth Explore Foundation is part of the Children and Nature Network, working to connect students with nature to boost their happiness, and support their success and achievement. For more information about Earth Explore's outdoor education and environmental education programs, visit them at www.earthexplore.com.
