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More Mini-Parks Mean Better Mental Health

Nora Macaluso

July 29, 2021 |

Next Avenue |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

PHS LandCare, with support from the city, develops small vacant lots into mini-parks that bring people out of their homes and engage with their community. A 2018 study found that people living near LandCare lots reported a decrease in feelings of depression and a reduction in feelings of poor mental health. The city's role is important to the program’s success, especially in providing money to hire contractors to maintain the green spaces, especially local residents and formerly incarcerated people. Sites must be in low-income neighborhoods and near business areas, schools, and recreation centers.

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For girls with mothers in prison, a summer camp offers much-needed support

Amna Nawaz

July 21, 2021 |

PBS NewsHour |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

For three days each summer, the Girls Embracing Mothers (GEM) camp near Dallas gives girls an escape from their daily reality of being denied a normal relationship with their incarcerated mothers. Founded by a lawyer whose own mother was incarcerated, GEM combines typical summer-camp fun with trust-building exercises. During camp and afterward, the girls become part of a community of peers who understand each other's trauma – which puts them at higher risk of dropping out of school, mental health problems, and homelessness – in a place where they need not feel shame for their mothers' status.

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The Cities Trailblazing Transit Service into the Wilderness

Gregory Scruggs

May 25, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Hikers can now catch a ride to their trail of choice thanks to Seattle’s transit system. Bus rides to popular hiking destinations make the great outdoors more accessible for urban populations.

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'These are places for us as well': Empowering more Arizonans to claim their spot outdoors

Shanti Lerner

April 14, 2021 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Phoenix, Arizona

Chispa Arizona is working to encourage members of the Latino community to spend time outdoors. The environmental justice organization created “entry points,” or free outdoor activities each month that anyone can attend like hiking, community gardening, and park clean-ups. There has been some hesitation from people attending these events, but one member says these experiences are necessary so they can educate others about the importance of green spaces.

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Playgrounds Designed With Accessibility In Mind Make Play Fun for Every Kid

Marianne Dhenin

April 13, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Petersburg, Florida

Playground designers and city officials in St. Petersburg, Florida, have gone beyond the basic requirements mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act in order to create a space that is truly inclusive. The park is “wheelchair accessible from bottom to top” and sets the standard for city parks that are focusing on more inclusivity.

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Black to the Land Coalition connects Detroit's BIPOC communities with the outdoors

Rhonda J. Smith

April 08, 2021 |

Planet Detroit |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

The nonprofit Black to the Land Coalition is working to expose more members of BIPOC communities to outdoor activities and the healthy benefits that come with being nature. They have partnered with other organizations to help alleviate costs and they’ve done activities like archery, camping, and kayaking. “We’re creating opportunities for Black and brown people to engage in natural spaces beyond the playscapes and basketball courts,” says one of the founders. “We’re taking on the outdoor world, period.”

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India trashes 100 million tires a year. She turns them into playgrounds.

Kamala Thiagarajan

March 29, 2021 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Bengaluru

Anthill Creations has built 275 "playscapes" across India, mostly using discarded vehicle tires as the affordable raw materials. In many parts of the country, children lack outdoor play spaces and toys to enliven their play. By "upcycling" some of the 100 million discarded tires the country generates annually and painting them bright colors, the 5-year-old project has benefits ranging from the environment to children's safety and happiness.

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Green space in cities can bring considerable health benefits for communities, but access is unequal

Ambika Chawla

March 19, 2021 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Platte Farm Open Space used to be a garbage dumping ground in Denver, but it’s now an urban green space thanks to the efforts from community members, organizations, and the government. This community-led project was able to secure funding to replace the contaminated land with fresh soil that now attracts animals and includes walking paths and a playground for children. This project offers lessons on how to build a green space in a diverse neighborhood and the health benefits that come from such an initiative.

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Avid Bookshop's New Book Club Promotes Literature About Race and Labor

Abir Saberi

March 17, 2021 |

Grady Newsource |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

Georgia’s Racial Justice Centering Committee, part of the University of Georgia’s United Campus Workers, runs the Racial Justice, Labor, and the South Book Club at the Avid Bookshop. The moderator-led discussions provide attendees with exposure to diverse literature and an opportunity to learn about the intersection between labor and race. While University of Georgia students are the target audience, the book club is open to the public. Meetings are currently held on zoom, but in-person meetings at the bookshop introduced a wider audience to the diverse books and increased support of the local business.

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Don't call it summer school: Battling the COVID slide in math, science, reading with summer programs

Trisha Powell Crain

March 10, 2021 |

AL.com (Alabama Media Group) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Alabama

Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL) provides funding for summer programs that mix academic learning and fun enrichment activities. The “COVID slide,” where students fell behind in math, science, and reading, had a greater impact on children of color and those in low-income families, who are the majority of students in SAIL-funded programs. High-quality academics, taught by certified teachers, are paired with fun activities and personal enrichment provided by community partners. Students in SAIL's virtual 2020 summer programs showed average learning gains of 2.3 months in reading and 1.6 months in math.

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