Abstract: Outdoor nature-based learning environments offer many benefits, especially when accessibility, environmental health, and justice are prioritized. The Dearborn Green Schoolyards Initiative began in 2020 at Salina Elementary and Intermediate Schools and is now a district-wide effort in Michigan’s third-largest school district. In Fall 2023 and 2024, this initiative partnered with a university environmental health course to pilot a district-wide assessment. Students assessed 23 schoolyards through surveys, photos, and staff interviews, examining social, built, and natural environments. We share our process, findings, lessons learned, and recommendations to support equitable and healthy outdoor place-based learning opportunities for all students.
Sampson et al. (Wed,) studied this question.