Initiatives:
- Improving the health of people living in low-income communities by increasing access to nature-based activities and green space.
- Supporting the development of stronger social-emotional and cognitive skills among young people through increased time in nature.
- Nurturing an emerging generation of youth as stewards of and advocates for the natural environment.
Mission
The Children & Nature Network is leading the movement to connect all children, their families and communities to nature through innovative ideas, evidence-based resources and tools, broad-based collaboration and support of grassroots leadership.
Vision
We envision that all Grand Rapids youth have equitable access to natural places and spaces for a happy and healthy life.
About
As a multi-year partnership with the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families, the Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) initiative is helping city leaders develop and expand strategies for getting more young people outdoors and connected to parks, green space and natural areas—with a focus on low-income and communities of color.
The initiative provides training and technical assistance to municipal leaders and community partners to implement plans to create cities where children have the opportunity to play, learn and grow outdoors in nature. Through our work with cities, we seek to ensure that a connection to nature becomes an integral part of city priorities, planning and policymaking across a range of areas, including community health and wellness, education, out-of-school time programming, job creation, transportation and land use.
