We like to keep the NCH2 community updated on the most important events and information through our bi-monthly newsletters. Click the title below to see our most recent newsletter. If you are not on our mailing list yet, please head to our Get Involved page to sign-up. 

Highlights from the most Recent Newsletter

Click on the date to see details and links!
Date: 3/4/21
Key points:

• Save the dates!
  • Having Fun Getting Fit in the Forest. March 6, 10 AM CST. Forest Preserves of Cook County. Location: Little Red School House Nature Center, Willow Springs, IL. Registration is required, call 708-839-6897 or visit their site, https://fpdcc.com/events/.
  • EEAI Annual Conference. March 11-13, times vary. Ensuring the health of the planet starts with having a population that understands the environmental problems our world is currently facing and has the knowledge, skills and motivation to take actions on solving those problems. You as educators, either formal or non-formal, are at the forefront of this work. It is you who inspire students to care about nature; it is you who teach students about the connections between natural systems and human communities; it is you who support students in feeling empowered to make a difference. ​
  • Nature Rx: Social Emotional Learning for Students and Teachers. June 14th-18th from 8 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. This 5-day course will offer experiences in outdoor settings to practice integration of SEL standards into current classroom curriculum. This process will address current issues such as priority learning standards during the pandemic, mental health of both students and teachers, limiting factors of outdoor education, and school building/district rules and expectations. Teachers will be encouraged to network with one another as they prepare lessons for use at their own indoor and outdoor learning spaces at their schools. It is truly an opportunity for experiential learning
• In the news!
  • People often ask why we need to keep doing research on the health benefits of nature. This article describes a research study that investigates just that. There are so many things we don’t know – especially knowing who benefits from different types of interactions.  Read this week’s In the News article, Nature Is Good For Your Mental Health, Sometimes, linked on the newsletter.
• Recent Research!
  • Jenkins, M., S. Houge Mackenzie, K. Hodge, E. A. Hargreaves, J. R. Calverley and C. Lee (2021). "Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Relationships With Motivational Quality and Nature Contexts." Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 3(43). https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fspor.2021.637576.
    • The findings in this paper suggest that (1) weekly physical activity was associated with increased psychological well-being during the COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand, and (2) nature-based PA may foster psychological well-being via effects on motivation.