title: Green schoolyards as havens from stress and resources for resilience in childhood and adolescence.
abstract: This paper investigates how green schoolyards can reduce stress and promote protective factors for resilience in students. It documents student responses to green schoolyards in Maryland and Colorado in the United States under three conditions: young elementary school children׳s play in wooded areas during recess; older elementary school children׳s use of a naturalized habitat for science and writing lessons; and high school students׳ involvement in gardening. Drawing on ethnographic observations and interviews, it describes how the natural areas enabled students to escape stress, focus, build competence, and form supportive social groups. These findings have implications for theories of resilience and restoration and school interventions for stress management.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Design Program, University of Colorado, P.O. Box 314, Boulder, CO 80309-0314, USA. Electronic address: louise.chawla@colorado.edu.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.affiliation: Achieve Academy, Mapleton Public Schools, 9308 West Nichols Drive, Littleton, CO 80128, USA. Electronic address: kelly.keena@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keena
authors.affiliation: Children, Youth and Environments Center for Community Engagement, University of Colorado, P.O. Box 314, Boulder, CO 80309-0314, USA. Electronic address: achildsgardenofpeace@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Illène
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pevec
authors.affiliation: Jemicy School, 11 Celadon Road, Owings Mill, MD 21117, USA. Electronic address: estanley@umbc.edu.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stanley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015142:Baltimore; D002648:Child; D003120:Colorado; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004644:Emotions; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D051639:Gardening; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012574:Schools; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Children; Nature; Resilience; Schoolyards; Stress