Leave No Child Inside: Connecting families to nature in parks

Date & Time:     Wednesday, December 10, 2008, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Location:            Oakton Community Center – Program Room West, 2^nd Floor

                            Skokie Park District

                            4701 Oakton Street

                            Skokie, IL 60076

The price will be $10.  We are asking everyone to bring your own lunch, non-alcoholic beverage and enough snack (healthy &/or other) for yourself and two other people.

PROGRAM OF VALUE TO DAY & RESIDENT CAMP DIRECTORS AND STAFF ALSO

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Speaker information:

Peggy Stewart, Manager of Outdoor and Environmental Education, Chicago Park District

At the Chicago Park District, Peggy’s responsibilities include:  city-wide partnerships with Chicago Wilderness and other environmental organizations, supervision of camping, gardening and nature programs for youth, teens and families.  She has also introduced a new program, Nature Oasis, which provides an opportunity for day camps, families and teachers to explore and learn about natural areas in the parks. She is currently co-chair of the Education Team of Chicago Wilderness, a consortium of 200 organizations doing restoration and environmental education in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Working with a strong team, she is responsible for implementing the strategic plan in education and broadening our conservation work to a national audience. 

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Details of Presentation:  Environmental Stewardship- Youth in the outdoors

Participants will learn about current research and trends that can help shape our work .

In June 2007, the Chicago Wilderness consortium launched Leave No Child Inside as part of the national children and nature movement inspired by author Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. Children are increasingly disconnected from nature as a result of several factors, including over-structured schedules, loss of green space, parental fear, and the prevalence of electronics that keep kids “wired” indoors. Chicago Wilderness recognizes the growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating how important direct contact with the outdoors is to healthy childhood development, with emphasis on fitness, creativity, cognitive functioning, and a sense of wonder.  Specific workshops hosted in the Chicago region will be shared including conservation psychology and application.

Participants will: learn about the regional part of a national coalition committed to reconnecting kids with the outdoors as part of a healthy childhood.

The Chicago Wilderness Leave No Child Inside initiative is an effort to promote children’s health and foster generations of kids who care about nature and will protect it. Leave No Child Inside seeks to:

• Get more children outside in local nature and increase the amount and quality of time they spend there
• Actively engage adults – parents, caregivers, young adults, educators, decision-makers, and others – in providing access and opportunities for children to explore and play in nature
• Bring nature to children: Create safe places and programs to provide more and improved outdoor nature exploration opportunities for children
• Foster a regional conservation ethic and promote overall environmental welfare for the benefit of children and all the region’s residents

Specific action items for the Chicago Wilderness Region and Chicago Park District will be presented.

Participants will learn about efforts of different agencies and opportunities to work in a collaborative manner through specific programming examples and open discussion.  CW priorities presented will include:

• Develop more and improved family programming, especially for underserved audiences
• Expand existing camping programs for youth and families
• Expand Mighty Acorns, a program that introduces thousands of 4th through 6th graders each year to nature and
• Increase participation in outdoor volunteering by helping schools with service requirements partner with natural resource agencies
• Increase natural landscaping in existing and new communities, commercial spaces, and parks
• Advocate for state legislation in the Chicago Wilderness region to support funding for outdoor education and programming

Recognizing the need to reach a broad audience, Chicago Wilderness is engaging community partners in the Leave No Child Inside initiative, including, but not limited to, representatives from faith-based communities, health-care organizations, and educators. 

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American Camp Association, Illinois * 67 E. Madison St. Suite 1406 * Chicago, IL 60603-3014 * Ph (312) 332-0833 * Fax (312) 332-4011

Gordie Kaplan , Executive Director * Ph (312) 332-0833 ext. 22 * email gordie@acail.org

Michael Hoffenberg, Director of Operations * Ph (312) 332-0833 ext. 24 * email michael@acail.org

Cathola Hill, Administrative Assistant * Ph (312) 332-0833 ext. 21 * email info@acail.org

Web Site:  www.acail.org