Make the Case

As community hubs, libraries are the ideal partners to provide children with regular access to nature. This infographic provides a helpful visual of how libraries can help connect children to nature. Use this to help build understanding of Nature-Smart Libraries.

The Youth Outdoor Policy Partnership is a collaboration of leading national organizations working across sectors to ensure that all children have access to high-quality outdoor experiences and environmental education. Every year, we publish an Annual Trend Report that shares innovative policies to encourage legislators, advocates, communities and youth to replicate, rethink and collaborate to build equitable youth outdoor opportunities. Together, we'll explore the latest state-level policy updates from 2024, winning coalition-building strategies, and exciting advocacy strategies for 2025 with a panel of youth outdoor policy leaders.

Watch the October 4, 2024, recording of the National League of Cities and Children & Nature Network in-depth look at the new report “How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value.” The conversation, moderated by NLC’s Dr. Robert Blaine, primarily featured report author Rob Grunewald, with additional insights and perspective from Jordan Twardy from the City of Dearborn and Priya Cook from C&NN.

This slide deck on the economic benefits of green schoolyards can be used to support your own case-making efforts. Kindly credit them to Rob Grunewald in your presentations.

Towns and cities have an opportunity to reprioritize resources to foster children’s connection to nature while meeting sustainability and resilience goals. Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN), a joint initiative of National League of Cities and the Children & Nature Network, teamed with the Regional Plan Association (RPA) to demonstrate potential synergy in policies and practices in order to bridge these complementary field.

This infographic depicts the many benefits of nature during the foundational years of early childhood, ages 0 – 5.

This resource document supports cities in how to make the case to their city or district leaders to use funding to support green schoolyards. It is a communications and messaging focused toolkit with links to templates, press releases and case study examples.

“Worm. Rabbit. Fox.” A ball of string is tossed around. “Tree. Squirrel. Owl.” On and on it goes, as 5th graders name animals or plants in a habitat and toss the string. The ball of string keeps traveling until every child is linked in an entangled web. Years ago when I was an outdoor educator, I led this activity weekly. I would announce that the fox had a good hunting day, which was unfortunate for the rabbit.

I’m sometimes asked if our work with children should be about teaching them to savor, or save, the natural world. The question seems to suggest that we need to choose one or the other. 

The city of Austin, Texas publicly declared its belief that all children — regardless of race or income level — deserve access to nature’s benefits when the city council passed the Austin Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights. And, thanks to the leadership in Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department and strong partnerships across the city, the community is taking steps to bring this commitment to life by making regular nature access a reality for young children in Austin.

The Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) initiative supports cities as they work to change and improve citywide systems so that all children have opportunities to play, learn and grow with nature in their daily lives. Many cities are searching for ways to bring nature’s benefits to all.

Key strategies and policy tools to advance racial inclusion and equitable growth in cities.

Advocacy and planning resources for improving walkability can increase community access to green schoolyards.

Lessons learned, templates, and agreements for joint-use of school grounds in your community.

Mayor Rosalynn Bliss from Grand Rapids, MI gave a welcome address where she shares her personal story of how nature impacted her and her path towards incorporating equitable access to nature into her city priorities.

Watch this short video about the national CCCN initiative and three of the 18 innovative cities working towards a vision where every child in every city has regular access to nature.

The City of Houston has a vision for a more equitable city – one where all it’s residents have equal access to the city’s resources.

In this video, learn how being part of the CCCN initiative has helped the City of Rochester plan, execute and sustain city efforts to more equitably connect children to nature.

Since 2016, San Francisco has built a coalition of over 30 organizations and city departments all working together to more equitably connect all children to the many benefits of nature. Their story is one of collaborations, partnerships and a shared vision of equity.

Watch Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston, TX address a CCCN Houston stakeholders meeting in 2019. About 75 stakeholders from across sectors came together to discuss a common vision and path to connecting kids to nature in Houston.

Wintermission Leadville is led locally by the City of Leadville, Get Outdoors Leadville!, and Lake County Recreation Department, with key support from many local partner organizations and community members.

This research digest outlines new research that provides a rationale for focusing on children’s equitable access to nature.

Tips, tools and resources to help you grow green schoolyards in your community.

This thorough guide helps make the case that green infrastructure supports human health.

This webinar presents research and strategies for increasing equitable access to nature, including C&NN’s Cities Connecting Children to Nature, Natural Leaders and Green Schoolyards initiatives.

Insights from the Cities Connecting Children to Nature initiative guiding city leaders on strategies for equitable access to nature for children.

Promising practices for water management that promotes equity for communities most impacted by economic stress caused by climate change.

A look at how health equity can a local lever for green schoolyard program development.

This guide is intended to encourage partnerships between park agencies and stormwater agencies aimed at promoting the use of green infrastructure on park lands.

Data to help state decision makers incentivize and promote shared used agreements in schools to grow healthier kids and communities.

An interactive tool and index that ranks America’s 100 largest cities and their park systems.

Case studies of green schoolyards as public places with the potential to improve public health for individuals and the community as a whole.

Infographic illustrating the research on the wide range of health benefits of children’s nature connection.

Infographic illustrating the research on academic benefits of children’s nature connection.

This fact sheet introduces shared use as a strategy for reducing health disparities by creating equitable opportunities for recreation in parks and schoolyards.

In this report, TreePeople focuses on a LA Unified School District Water Partnership project, examining collaborative options that could allow for increased stormwater capture projects on LAUSD campuses.

A call to action from leaders in the field to place the nature-health connection at the center of research, design, and decision-making.