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Blog Entries - youth development

A group of people sit around a Brown Girls Climb flag next to a cliff
Photo courtesy of Brown Girls Climb

Three Years of the Get Into Nature Initiative Yields Positive Results

The National Recreation Foundation has collaborated with Tom’s of Maine since 2020 to increase access to nature for youth across the United States. The Get Into Nature initiative has allowed NRF to reach small,

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A group of young people sit holding signs about environmental action

Climate Change is Shaping Philanthropic Work

Climate change has an impact on virtually all areas of human life. Extreme heat and more frequent storms are shifting where we live, how we engage in recreation, and how we construct our built environment. Stress about

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A group of youth ski together in snowy woods
Photo courtesy of SheJumps

Story Riders and SheJumps Foster Confidence in Kids

Kids are navigating a lot. They are working hard in school, figuring out social dynamics, balancing family responsibilities, and discovering what they care about and who they want to be. That’s a lot for a young

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A group of children use binoculars to look for birds
Photo courtesy of Urban Adventure Squad

Birdwatching with Kids

Birdwatching has a long history as a hobby, but it has grown exponentially in recent years. In 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that there are approximately 45 million birdwatchers in the United

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a child leans in while holding a camera up to their eye
Photo courtesy of Parks in Focus

Grantee Spotlight: Parks in Focus

Sometimes it can feel as though kids are asked to choose between their interests instead of being celebrated for engaging with lots of different kinds of activities. They can either excel at dance or science,

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a group of people stand and sit together smiling
Photo courtesy of Children & Nature Network

Children & Nature Network Boosts Capacity for Outdoor Programs

The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) received an Impact Grant from NRF in 2021 that wrapped up at the end of 2022. The grant focused on expanding the ongoing work of C&NN to increase capacity across the youth

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