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Blog Entries - outdoor learning

Kids work together outside
Photo courtesy of Urban Adventure Squad

Grantee Spotlight: Urban Adventure Squad

Meaningful experiences in the outdoors can happen anywhere. While the U.S. has an impressive array of wilderness areas, national parks, and more remote outdoor spaces, there are even more city parks, urban greenways,

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A group of people sit around a table having a conversation

NRF Is Committed to Grantee Partnership

Philanthropic organizations exist to create a better world and support positive change. Sometimes, however, common philanthropic practices perpetuate the very inequalities and social issues nonprofit organizations seek

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A child works in a notebook while laying in gradd

Green Schoolyards are on the Rise

The green schoolyards movement is growing. A green schoolyard is an outdoor space that supports a school’s mission to help kids learn and grow through instruction, exploration, and play. There’s no one correct

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A child closely studies a plant with a magnifying glass

Plant Identification with Kids

Kids tend to be curious and ask questions about the world around them. Spending time outside in natural spaces is a great way to help youth hone that curiosity and gain the skills they need to ask good questions,

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A child holds a hose in the middle of a lawn and smiles

Bring Earth Day to Life!

Earth Day is a relatively recent phenomenon. In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin organized rallies and demonstrations across the U.S. to bring attention to environmental issues. He was concerned about the lack

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a young boy climbs on a rock wall

The Role of Risk in Youth Development

When we encourage young people to play outside or to engage in experiential learning, we are accepting a certain level of risk. The outdoors presents a range of environmental factors outside of our control. When we try

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