Resources
Meaningful Learning and Connections in the Outdoors
Resources
In 2021, the New Mexico Public Education Department launched an Outdoor Learning Initiative. Prompted by the need for social distancing and outdoor classes during COVID-19, New Mexico recognized the significant benefits of outdoor learning and has since developed a state-wide program for their schools.
NAAEE has promoted excellence in environmental education throughout North America and the world. They are dedicated to strengthening the field of environmental education and increasing the visibility and efficacy of the profession.
BSD is collaborating with this organization. Green Schools National Network (GSNN) uses a holistic approach in its work with schools, districts, organizations, and individual educators to transform schools from good to green. They do this by providing resources, coaching, and partnering opportunities that support the hard work and heart work of creating healthy, equitable, and sustainable schools. Their work is informed by our GreenPrint, a framework for whole-school transformation that covers best practices in leadership, curriculum and instruction, culture and climate, and facilities and operations.
The Let Grow Experience helps educators and parents work together to give kids the crucial dose of independence necessary to become confident, capable, and resilient.
The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction - A guide on how to integrate Outdoor Learning curricula into Standards and Learning Goals.
The Natural Start Alliance unites organizations and individuals working toward a future in which every young child has access to high-quality education that includes nature and the environment every day.
An organization that believes that the well-being of children and the wild places we love are inextricably linked. And while research tells us that regular time outdoors is essential for children’s healthy development, today’s kids are less connected to nature than ever before. This organization is looking to change this.
Teen Programs
LifeOutdoors empowers and inspires students through outdoor opportunities in place-based learning, cutting-edge research, and restoration in local watersheds and larger bioregions.
MOSS Adventure Learning is a place where students, everywhere, of all ages, share technology to engage – not disengage – in the ecosystems where we live. They offer resources for communities and camps for students.
This is an organization in Maine that can be used as a model in our own communities. Teens to Trails connect students to life- changing experiences in the outdoors.
The Warm Springs Care Farm is not a petting zoo, but a therapeutic family care farm that offers a variety of volunteer programs such as animal care, Barn Club, art workshops, nature time, therapist trainings, and yoga/movement/breath, offered free at the farm to small groups and individuals. They partner with Children's Home Counseling Services, who seasonally offers one-on-one nature-based therapy sessions.
Alzar School offers academic semesters for motivated high school sophomores and juniors, summer courses for younger teenagers, educator expeditions, alumni adventures, corporate training, and more. They equip students with the background knowledge, skills, and confidence to be effective leaders who will change the world.
Climate Change & Youth Mental Health
Source: Parents.com (May 2025) A guide for parents/caregivers on how to teach "Climate Resilience" to kids of all ages. Key points include: Climate resilience means teaching kids how take action, even if its just in small ways in their. communities, so that they can be prepared for how climate change will impact their lives Parents can start explaining the impacts of climate change to kids at an early age Teaching kids climate resilience might ease anxiety they feel about effects of climate change, and help them resist hopelessness
A Guide for Educators: Supporting Children's Well-being & Building Resilience as Our Climate Changes (PDF)
Climate for Health & Eco America created this guide which equips parents and caregivers with practical recommendations to support children’s mental health amid climate change, from using hopeful, solution-focused language to building emotional coping skills and involving children in helpful climate actions like recycling and advocacy.
EcoAmerica and Climate for Health have created guides for parents and caregivers, educators, and health professionals to care for the mental health of our nation’s children and youth. These practical resources offer peer-reviewed tools and recommendations for these trusted adults to help children and youth manage the emotional and psychological impacts of climate change and build lasting resilience.
A Guide for Parents & Caregivers: Supporting Children's Well-being & Building Resilience as Our Climate Changes (PDF)
Climate for Health & Eco America created this guide which equips parents and caregivers with practical recommendations to support children’s mental health amid climate change, from using hopeful, solution-focused language to building emotional coping skills and involving children in helpful climate actions like recycling and advocacy.
UNICEF Parenting explores climate anxiety in children, describing it as a natural emotional response to environmental changes. Three experts offer guidance on recognizing signs of distress, helping children cope through validation and open conversation, and building resilience through environmental action. They emphasize that parents should acknowledge children's feelings, engage in age-appropriate discussions, and seek professional help if symptoms significantly impact daily functioning.
Idaho Clinicians for Climate and Health is a coalition of healthcare professionals dedicated to addressing climate change's impact on public health in Idaho. They focus on healthcare sustainability, education about climate-related health impacts, and community-based climate resilience. The organization actively engages youth through educational initiatives and advocacy, addressing both physical and mental health challenges that climate change poses to young Idahoans. By helping youth understand and take action on environmental issues affecting their communities, they empower young people to transform climate anxiety into positive action, supporting their overall wellbeing and mental health.
Green Spaces in Schools
Green Schoolyards America seeks to transform asphalt-covered school grounds into park-like green spaces that improve children’s well-being, learning, and play while contributing to their communities' ecological health and climate resilience. They are working to change the paradigm for school ground design, use, and management so all students will have access to the natural world in the places they already visit on a daily basis.
By The Yale Ledger (2023)