Giving Compass' Take:

• The Youth Outdoor Policy Playbook outlines successful policy shifts that can encourage youth to spend time outdoors which has benefits for youth and the environment. 

• Which of these approaches best aligns with your goals and resources? 

• Read about bringing equity into youth outdoor efforts. 

Regular time outdoors is critical for children’s healthy development. But today’s kids average less than 10 minutes playing and learning outside per day — and more than 40 hours per week in front of a screen. This trend has serious implications for our kids, and our planet.

Lawmakers across the U.S. are passionate about connecting children to the benefits of time spent in nature–and their states’ outdoor economies and natural resources. The Youth Outdoor Policy Playbook highlights successful bipartisan policy initiatives and provides resources to support new statewide efforts to increase environmental education and youth engagement in the outdoors.

The Youth Outdoor Policy Playbook is designed to:

  • Highlight existing and promising policy solutions for driving youth outdoor engagement.
  • Share the knowledge and experience of environmental education and outdoor engagement champions to drive new, innovative ideas.
  • Connect cross sector leaders working on statewide policy initiatives.

Read the full article about encouraging youth outdoors at Youth Outdoor Policy.