Identify Policies

“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.

Equity serves as a central goal of the Cities Connecting Children to Nature initiative (CCCN). In this new equity resource, CCCN provides a snapshot into the current consensus within CCCN on definitions and principles for advancing equity, as well as a few illustrative examples of city progress and additional ideas.

The Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) initiative increased its focus on systems-level change and adopted a systems change framework. This brief discussion paper describes examples of structural change observed from 2015 to 2020 with CCCN cities. The paper was used to lead internal discussions among CCCN cities at a gathering in 2020.

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

This toolkit shares lessons learned from California schools with successful joint use agreements, offering guidelines and templates for other communities seeking to increase access to school recreational facilities.

This agreement from Austin, TX is an example of how a school district and a city park department can specifies maintenance responsibilities for shared properties.

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

A how-to guide for developing pathways for play to enhance children’s health, tapping all forms of network infrastructure from greenways and sidewalks to mixed use developments and pocket play spaces.

Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board uses equity-driven metrics for selecting projects in neighborhood parks.

A guide with real-life examples, best practices and practical steps to help agencies implement a wellness policy and create sustainable site changes.

Omaha Public School’s guide for reducing storm water on school grounds, including lesson plans for teachers and maintenance resources for administrators

A data collection tool to track how students travel to and from school and understand parents’ perceptions of safety.

Downloadable and customize these sample resources for joint use agreements between schools and city government.

New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection leads multiple agency partners in the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable green infrastructure on schoolyards and other spaces.

An example of how Arkansas tobacco excise tax helps fund shared use programs that benefit health and education.

This action-oriented guide supports local, state, and federal officials in planning for health at all levels to address determinants of chronic disease.

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

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

An Arkansas state tax on tobacco funds partnerships that promote physical activity in schools.

A roadmap for the City and its residents to make Chicago a healthier, more vibrant place to live and work, including green schoolyards as a strategy.

Advocacy tips for local policy change from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.