Creating Positive Childhood Environmental Experiences in the Classroom

Back to School with PACEs Connection: Creating Positive Childhood Environmental Experiences in the Classroom

Every aspect of someone’s environment will impact how they live, learn, play, and grow. Those under the age of 18 in traditional learning models will spend the majority of their time in a school setting, where the environment itself lays the foundation for their development. Creating positive childhood experiences in schools and the classroom has a profound impact on students' education, well-being, and their future role as responsible global citizens. We know that positive childhood experiences(PCEs) lead to greater well-being and health over the lifespan(Bethell, 2019). It’s vital to make sure that we bring the concept of PCEs, and specifically, positive childhood environmental experiences into the classroom.

Fostering positive childhood environmental experiences in schools involves creating a physical and emotional environment that is safe, supportive, and conducive to learning and well-being. Teaching kids concepts about the environment and its importance is key to ensuring that we foster loving relationships between future generations and the planet. This article explores a number of methods to create positive childhood environmental experiences, such as: ensuring a safe physical & built environment; implementing green and sustainable practices; fostering a positive classroom atmosphere; promoting outdoor learning; developing student-led initiatives; and lastly, emphasizing a connection with nature.

Ensuring a Safe Physical & Built Environment

• Ensure that school buildings and classrooms are clean, well-maintained, and safe for students.
• Provide adequate lighting, ventilation, and comfortable seating arrangements.
• Promote cleanliness and hygiene throughout the school.
• Ensure school drinking water is free from contaminants, like lead, a well known neurotoxin. (Protecting kids from lead in school drinking water (pirg.org))
• Implement energy-efficient practices and technologies in school buildings.
• Promote eco-friendly transportation options, such as walking, biking, carpooling, or using public transportation.
• Create safe and accessible routes to school for pedestrians and cyclists.

Implementing Green and Sustainable Practices

• If possible, incorporate sustainable practices such as recycling, composting, and reducing waste into the school's daily operations. If the school cannot support these sustainable practices, then start them in your classroom or daycare on a smaller scale.
• Create green spaces on the school grounds for students to connect with nature. (How Parks and Green Spaces Can Improve Your Health | College of Natural Resources News (ncsu.edu))
• Teach students about environmental stewardship and the importance of protecting the environment. Teaching children about environmental stewardship can instill responsibility and accountability. They can learn that their actions have consequences, for the environment, for themselves, and for future generations. This sense of responsibility encourages them to make more environmentally conscious choices.

Fostering a Positive Classroom Atmosphere

• Foster a classroom environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and free from discrimination and bullying. A sense of belonging in school is one of the original 7 PCEs (PCEs | CEI (edimprovement.org)).
• Arrange desks and materials in a way that promotes collaboration and interaction among students. (Ideas to Consider (elementaryassessments.com))
• Use calming colors and decorations to create a pleasant learning atmosphere.
• Create designated quiet spaces where students can go to reflect and decompress when needed.
• Incorporate art projects and creative activities that focus on environmental themes.

Promoting Outdoor Learning: Play Spaces & School Gardens

• Design outdoor spaces that encourage exploration, physical activity, and play.
• Incorporate gardens, nature trails, or outdoor classrooms where students can learn about the natural world.
• School gardens provide a hands-on, experiential learning environment where students can apply academic concepts from various subjects like science, math, and environmental studies in a real-world context. This practical learning fosters a deeper understanding of these subjects. Students can directly learn about the environment, ecology, and sustainability, including about the life cycles of plants, the importance of biodiversity, and the impact of human activities on the environment. School gardens can also feature herbs and plants of cultural relevance to local communities.
• Provide equipment and spaces for physical activities and creative play.
• Adults who model & demonstrate a responsible relationship with the environment foster this same relationship in the children who look up to them (Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) - Pinetree Institute)
• If your school does not have access to the outdoors or green space, you can potentially organize field trips to natural areas, botanical gardens, or environmental centers. Even a walk around your local neighborhood helps students to develop a positive relationship with the physical world around them.

Developing Student-Led Initiatives [in older children & classrooms]

• Empower students to take the lead in creating and implementing environmental initiatives within the school.
• Support student-led environmental clubs or organizations.
• Partner with local environmental organizations and community groups to engage students in environmental conservation efforts.
• Organize clean-up events or tree-planting activities that promote a sense of community and environmental responsibility.
• Encourage students to participate in eco-friendly projects and initiatives.

Emphasizing a Connection with Nature

• Encourage teachers to incorporate nature-based activities, such as nature walks, outdoor science experiments, and wildlife observation.
• Help students to understand the environment in which they live, as well as the many different environments around the world.
• Create opportunities for students to learn about local flora and fauna.
• Children can naturally find peace and calm through connections to the environment (Benefits of bringing nature into learning and play spaces, Teach for the Change)

When we think of the environment, we often think of plants and animals, but the built environment, our human-made surroundings, plays just as important a role in our well-being.

Creating a positive childhood environmental experience in schools not only benefits students individually but also contributes to a more sustainable and ecologically conscious future for all. Involving students, teachers, and parents in the decision-making process to make the school environment even better allows for meaningful involvement from all affected parties. It encourages a sense of responsibility and stewardship for the planet, which is vital in today's world.

About the Author: Jenna Quinn is a Program Coordinator and Environmental Justice Consultant for PACEs Connection. Interested in learning more about environmental justice and how the environment you live in can influence you? Join our free Creating Resilient Communities Accelerator Program for free courses on PACEs science.