AVF project: Young people today show greater rates of stress and anxiety, a trend that coincides with a growing recognition of the threats to the natural environment. Employing a One Health approach, researchers will examine how curricular programming that provides students more time in nature can lead to healthier populations and environments. The project will specifically focus on elementary schools serving low-income communities in urban and rural areas, and will identify curricular best practices and generate data to inform programs and state policy for long-term social and environmental impact.

The grants supports undergraduate students as key members of the research team who will assist with everything from literature reviews and study protocol development, to relationship building with partner schools and planning meetings with teachers and students, to data collection, analysis and reporting.