In 2008, the Forum endorsed 30 demonstration projects nationwide that creatively reconnected kids with nature. These projects shared relevance, impact and an ability to be replicated, among other features.

The projects are grouped into three categories: Technology, Education, and Community. Click on the links below to go to the organization's website.

Technology

From iPods to Facebook, kids today are plugged in more than ever before. Rather than view technology as a barrier to nature, the National Forum on Children and Nature endorsed projects that tapped technology as a tool to get kids back outdoors.

 

Project: EarthTeam Eco-Stewards

Organization: EarthTeam

Location: Berkeley, CA

 

 

Project: Outdoor Spaces for Children: Exposure West Atlanta

Organization: West Atlanta Watershed Alliance

Location: Atlanta, GA

 

 

Project: Sesame Street: “Connecting Preschoolers with Nature”

Organization: Sesame Workshop

Location: New York, NY

 

 

Project: The Birds & The Bees Challenge

Organization: Cornell University Lab of Ornithology

Location: Ithaca, NY

 

 

Project: Trees for the 21st Century

Organization: ERTHNXT

Location: Philadelphia, PA

 

Education

During the average week, kids spend more time at school and after-school programs than at home. The National Forum on Children and Nature endorsed the following projects, which weave nature directly into educational experiences:

 

Project: Connecting Kids to the Nature of Wyoming

Organization: Teton Science School

Location: Jackson, WY

 

 

Project: Going Wild

Organization: Association of Children’s Museums

Location: Washington D.C.

 

 

Project: Kids in Nature

Organization:  North Carolina State University Natural Learning Initiative

Location: Raleigh, NC

 

 

Project: Pathway to Nature

Organization: Children’s Investment Fund, Boston Nature Center

Location: Mattapan, MA

 

 

Project: Pittsburgh Outdoor Promise

Organization: Sustainable Pittsburgh

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

 

 

Project: Science & Spanish Club Network

Organization: Gulf of Mexico Foundation

Location: Corpus Crisit, TX

 

 

Project: Secondary Environmental Education Collaborative

Organization: The Nature Conservancy, Friends of The High School for Environmental Studies

Location: New York, NY

 

Project: Teaching Kids About The Environment

Organization: Pinnacle Partners and Clemson University Youth Learning Insitute

Location: Pickens, SC

 

Project: Fairchild Challenge

Organization: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Location: Coral Gables, FL

 

 

Project: The Nature of Learning

Organization: Expeditionary Learning Schools/Outward Bound

Location: New York, NY

 

Community

To reconnect kids with nature, a community needs all hands on deck. The National Forum on Children and Nature endorsed projects, which focus on neighborhood design, access to green space, innovative recreation programs and more.

Project: Child-Friendly Communities

Organization:  Intl. Making Cities Livable, National Town Builders Assoc.

Location: Carmel, CA

 

 

Project: Green Infrastructure Vision

Organization: Chicago Wilderness

Location: Chicago, IL

 

 

Project: Green Stops Partnership

Organization: New York Restoration Project

class="floatLeftClear": New York, NY

 

 

Project: Nature Connection

Organization: Denver Housing Authority

Location: Denver, CO

 

 

Project: No Child Left Inside Initiative

Organization: Connecticut Dept of Environmental Protection

Location: Hartford, CT

 

 

Project: Nuestra Naturaleza, Nuestra Communidad

Organization: Audubon Society

Location: New York, NY

 

 

Project: Outdoor Connections for Inner City Youth

Organization: Jr Anglers & Hunters of America

Location: Houston, TX

 

 

Project: Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors

Organization: Pass It On

Location: Wichita, KS

 

 

Project: Prescribing Nature

Organization: National Environmental Education Foundation

Location: Washington, D.C.

 

 

Project: Project Ecopolis

Organization: American Community Gardening Association

Location: Columbus, OH

 

 

Project: Bikes Belong

Organization: Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Location: Fairfax, CA

 

 

Project: Teens Outside

Organization: The Outdoor Foundation

Location: Boulder, CO

 

 

Project: Wise Kids® Outdoors

Organization: Sajai Foundation

Location: Hamel, MN

 

 

Project: Spring Break Back to Nature

Organization: YMCA of Greater Seattle

Location: Seattle, WA