Gov. Laura Kelly proclaimed April 21-27 as Outside For Five Week in Kansas in support of these efforts.

The Outside for 5 campaign was first developed in 2022 in response to the pandemic-related decline in youth mental health and the associated impact on classroom educators who have faced increased levels of burnout. Today many students and teachers continue to face difficult issues in their communities related to climate change, social barriers, and more. Strategies for supporting our students and teachers are just as important today. This campaign is focused on engaging communities in outdoor learning as a way to provide a more enriching and healthy learning environment.

“Today’s students are juggling many stressors that affect their mental health and productivity in the classroom,” said Laura Donwey, Executive Director of the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education. “By incorporating outdoor learning into school curriculum, educators can provide an outlet for students to release stress and increase focus for learning.”

There is a large and compelling body of evidence-based research that demonstrates the benefits of outdoor learning for mental health and well-being, stress and anxiety reduction, physical health, student engagement, and academic success. Outdoor educational experiences also offer schools an opportunity to ignite learning, which addresses both social and emotional well-being as well as learning loss.

“Our goal with this campaign is to inspire educators to think outside the box when it comes to enhancing the social-emotional wellness of their students, each other, and their entire school community,” said Sarah Bodor, NAAEE’s Director of Policy and Affiliate Relations.