Program on the Environment

Humans hold deep connections to outdoor spaces and recall important life skills or memories from those experiences. We are entering a digital age where less and less people are having the opportunity to have outdoor experiences. The aim of this study is to address the benefits that outdoor environmental education has on overall wellbeing, specifically within youth. I interned with a non-profit organization called Sound Salmon Solutions and asked the teachers involved in their ‘salmon in schools’ program to identify any positive or negative difference they have noticed and if they felt their engagement with the program was worthwhile. Also, I visited the school every week and participated in teaching about the salmon life cycle, where I was able to gain first-hand observations/experience with elementary school students. Outdoor environmental education has the potential to give a lot of benefits to youth in many ways, such as their social, emotional, physical, and mental health. By fostering connection through the outdoors, youth have increased chances to experience happiness and explore more passions that can lead them to future careers. Educated and healthy youth lead to a better future and it is up to the leaders of the world to make these opportunities accessible to all children.