Connecting Children to Nature

by Inside the Outdoors Foundation
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Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature
Connecting Children to Nature

Project Report | Apr 27, 2017
Watch the Gardens Grow

By Lori Kiesser | Development Officer

PreKinder student looks over the new school garden
PreKinder student looks over the new school garden

I grew up in a small town in Ohio. Bordering my elementary school were woods filled with creeks, wildlife, and pathways that led to hours of learning. My teachers routinely took us into those woods.

There, we studied everything from art to science. We drew pictures of trees filled with birds and butterflies. We built secret forts. We turned over logs to look for bugs as part of our science class. Every student knew and loved those woods. 

My childhood experiences inform my work as an adult. Today, I co-lead Inside the Outdoors, an environmental education program in Southern California. We connect over 120,000 children each year to nature’s classroom. The most challenging part of my job is the significant number of families in my area who lack access to nature. The mountains, beach, forest, and desert are all within an hour’s drive – but many families have never been there. Backyard or nearby nature is virtually non-existent. Our communities are concrete.  Schoolyards are often small and have only minimal ornamental landscaping. It is heartbreaking to realize that while the students can see the mountains from their schoolyards and homes, they do not know what it feels like to spend time in nature.

With community support, Inside the Outdoors has helped ten schools build butterfly and vegetable gardens. These gardens serve as a place to learn, connect, and restore the soul.

  • With help from Boeing volunteers, Pitzer College students, parents, and Inside the Outdoors' staff, elementary school students from West Randall Elementary transformed a rocky unused area into a California native plant garden. As soon as the garden installation was complete, a young child wandered the school's new garden in awe, already immersed in the school's new outdoor classroom.
  • Special needs students from an alternative education high school joined classmates, teachers, Disneyland VoluntEARS, and Inside the Outdoors' staff to create a garden were science comes to life and makes learning fun. 
  • Students, parents, teachers, and staff at Mango Elementary School partnered with Inside the Outdoors and Auto Club Speedway volunteers to transform an unused grassy area into a native plant reading garden.
  • Students from Chino Hills High School joined teachers, Boeing volunteers, and Inside the Outdoors' staff to create a garden for science, culinary arts, language arts, and more!

The students and teachers who use these gardens gain a better understanding of science. They learn to accept others and they give back to their community. Each day they spend in the garden strengthens their connection to the natural world. Even casual observers witness how greening a schoolyard nurtures children and education. A garden creates a space for teachers to guide students through hands-on learning. It connects children to nature, to each other, and to learning. It transforms learning into doing.

This year, Inside the Outdoors is partnering with Boeing to help ten additional schools turn small unused areas into high impact natural spaces where students will get their hands dirty as they learn, develop teamwork skills, and spend time immersed in nature. 

In these gardens, students will grow their own lives.

Students of all abilities thrive in school gardens
Students of all abilities thrive in school gardens
Families work together to create a school garden
Families work together to create a school garden
Volunteers & teachers at Chino Hills High School
Volunteers & teachers at Chino Hills High School

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Feb 2, 2017
Brea Olinda High School

By ian Hanigan/Lori Kiesser | CIO/Development Officer

Nov 7, 2016
The Journey From Student to Staff Member

By Dawn Curtis | Manager, Grants and Volunteer Services

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Organization Information

Inside the Outdoors Foundation

Location: Costa Mesa, CA - USA
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Twitter: @itofoundation
Project Leader:
Sara Ludovise
Program Development Manager
Costa Mesa , California United States

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