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Supporting a curriculum (math’s, English, history, science)
Relational development (group membership, team building, leadership, followership)
Transferable skills (communication, problem solving, initiative, risk-taking) (The
Benefits of Outdoor Learning, 2018)
Better grades
A 2006 academic paper pointed to a 2000 study of school children in California as evidence
that outdoor education improves kids’ grades. After studying on an outdoor curriculum basis,
students from 11 schools scored higher than students of traditional systems in 72% of
assessments in everything from math and science to attendance.
Better health
A study of 10- to 12-year-olds in Australia published in the International Journal of
Obesity found outdoor education can be a key factor in avoiding childhood obesity. Author
Richard Louv has coined the phrase “nature-deficit disorder” to describe the harmful effects on
kids of too much indoor overstimulation, including attention-deficit disorder, anxiety, and
depression, and yes, obesity.
Decreased stress levels:
Activities that cause this release are listening to music, receiving a high-five, or hearing
sounds of nature. The “pleasure chemical” dopamine is released by repetitive actions, so
educational activities like monitoring a plant’s progress in a garden every day are great for
stimulating dopamine’s production.
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