Jul 26
New Fact Sheet Summarizes Benefits of Gardening for Children
26 Jul, 2009. 0 Comments. National News, News. Posted By: lncigc
Gardening provides different forms of engagement for children, including designing, planting, and maintaining gardens; harvesting, preparing, and sharing food; working cooperatively in groups; learning about science and nutrition; and creating art and stories inspired by gardens. Click here to read more about this report from the Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design.
Jun 27
Fifth Quarter Project a Success
27 Jun, 2009. 0 Comments. K-12 Education, News. Posted By: lncigc
Cincinnati Public Schools Fifth Quarter Program Includes EarthSmart Institute   Jim Shelton meets with Fifth Quarter Planners and CPS Parents. Jim Shelton meets with Fifth Quarter Planners and CPS Parents In an innovative program designed to stem the loss of learning that takes place during the summer for many students, Cincinnati Public Schools offered a Fifth Quarter, targeting grades K-7 at thirteen* schools. The voluntary program included enrichment opportunities intended to close the achievement gap between low-income and more economically advantaged students. A recent Johns Hopkins University study found that 65 percent of the achievement gap between poor and more advantaged…
Jun 26
Early Childhood Conference Focuses on Children and Nature
26 Jun, 2009. 0 Comments. News. Posted By: lncigc
On Saturday, May 2, 2009, over 120 child care professionals gathered at the Oasis Conference Center for 4C for Children?s "Bringing the Outdoors Back In" conference. Keynote speaker Ken Finch discussed the importance of unstructured play in nature to the physical, emotional, social and cognitive development of children and how it can be brought into the child care setting. Workshops on topics such as "Facilitating Inquiry and Unstructured Play in the Outdoor Environment", "Natural Playscapes", and "Way to Grow! Promoting Healthy Weights in Child Care Settings" provided participants with new ways of looking at outdoor play and how to use…
May 25
Obama aide lauds CPS program
25 May, 2009. 0 Comments. News. Posted By: lncigc
An emissary from the Obama administration today praised Cincinnati Public Schools' expanded summer-school program as a creative way to keep kids in class longer, a major administration priority. During a tour of Pleasant Hill Academy in College Hill, where students were finishing their last day of Fifth Quarter summer school, Jim Shelton credited CPS for finding a good use for increased federal aid included in February's economic stimulus package. "We're trying to get different districts and schools to think about different ways to increase learning time," said Shelton, assistant deputy education secretary for innovation. "And they seem to be really…
Jan 26
Scientists Report Nature is Essential for the Brain
26 Jan, 2009. 0 Comments. News. Posted By: lncigc
It's common knowledge that nature can help us focus our attention. Ask most of us what kind of environment we visualize during meditation, and it would be "nature".Read this fascinating article linking nature to brain function and how that information relates to our increasingly urban world.
Oct 15
Winners Announced!
15 Oct, 2008. 0 Comments. News. Posted By: lncigc
We know that unstructured outdoor play leads to happier, healthier and smarter children! Last summer, Leave No Child Inside ? Greater Cincinnati sponsored a Child-Friendly Backyard Contest as a fun way to encourage parents to allocate space in their yards for safe, unstructured play. On Wednesday, October 15, 2008, the contest winners were announced and received recognition at the Cincinnati Horticultural Society's Amateur Gardener's Awards Ceremony. Since the key words for a Child-Friendly Backyard are "creative" and "unstructured", the contest guidelines were minimal! The ultimate measure of success for a Child-Friendly Backyard is that it is a place where children…
Jul 26
Exploring Nature with Your Little One
26 Jul, 2008. 0 Comments. News. Posted By: lncigc
By Julie Eldridge Early Childhood Educator at Cincinnati Nature Center It wasn't long ago that I could slip on my hiking boots, snap the leash on my dog's collar and head out for a hike. The wind rustling through the trees, the gurgling water in the stream and the birds chattering all around soothed my soul and quieted my mind. That was about 2½ years ago. Now I run through my checklist: diapers ... check, wipes ... check, snack ... check, sippy cup ... check, and when I'm really on the ball, extra outfit for falls in the mud ...…
May 19
Fun in the Mud
Article by Julie Eldridge Early Childhood Educator at Cincinnati Nature Center While April showers may bring May flowers, springtime also brings the season of MUD! Look away for one second and your child is ankle deep in it. Squelch, squerch, plop! His shining eyes and joyful giggles speak to every child's innate desire to get their hands dirty. So forget about the caked-on laundry and mess that will inevitably be tracked into the house. Instead, put him in his worst-of-the-worst play clothes and some sturdy rubber boots and head outside together for some fun and messy lessons. At the first…
Apr 26
Conserving our Camps for Future Scouts
26 Apr, 2008. 1 Comment. Camping, Family Activities, News. Posted By: lncigc
On Saturday, April 5, over 75 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts at the Dan Beard Scout Reservation and over 30 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts at Camp Michaels learned about conservation while helping our camps at the spring Camp Conservation Day. Hundreds of sapling trees were planted along the banks of the Little Miami River. Scouts also staked protective tubes over the trees to protect them from hungry deer and the elements. Invasive honeysuckle was removed from the woods around the Mountain Man Village at Cub World, preparing the area for new natural growth. Everyone was treated to a hot…
Apr 5
Granny’s Garden School
5 Apr, 2008. 0 Comments. News. Posted By: lncigc
Keeping Kids in Touch with Nature Want to see first-hand just how much of a difference one person can make? Plan a trip to Granny's Garden School in Loveland! Seeing how disconnected kids are becoming from the natural world and their communities, Roberta Paolo (aka "Granny") decided to do something about it. As a grandmother and gardener, she had seen the positive impact exposure to flowers had on the kids and adults who visited her gardens; even the neighborhood tough guys. In the spring of 2002, she started Granny's Garden School to give kids a chance to pick flowers and…