Participatory research approaches can engage urban youth in working towards ecological resilienceYouth’s perspectives of ecological challenges are rarely incorporated into decision-making processes. Youth living in underserved communities face further barriers, including limited access to information on environmental change and complex social injustices. This participatory action research project, with aims for “democratizing research,” explored how experiential learning that integrated science and the arts engaged young adults in environmental issues.
Children & Nature Network
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A community of practice approach can enhance educators’ capacity for developing young children’s empathy for natureEarly childhood is an important developmental phase to foster empathy for animals and nature. This study explored nature preschool educators’ capacity to facilitate empathy development in young children through their participation in a Community of Practice (CoP) participatory learning process. The CoP served as a professional learning community that supported practitioner collaboration to deepen understandings of empathy and improve teaching practice.
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Strategies identified by girls can support their equitable utilization of greenspaceTime spent in greenspace benefits youth’s wellbeing. However, many young people have limited opportunities to experience nature, which may be especially true for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study sought to increase understanding of the factors that influence girls’ and young women’s engagement with public greenspace and nature. The study also engaged participants in co-designing strategies to increase girls’ and young women’s involvement with greenspace.
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Environmental education can engage young children as equal partners through participatory approachesChildren’s right to participate in decision-making concerning nearby environments is an important, yet under researched field. To provide young children with an opportunity to express their needs and to become empowered through engagement in decision-making processes, this study explored young children’s experiences as co-creators of an outdoor space at their nursery school.
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Youth involvement in infrastructure planning in response to climate change can benefit both the youth and the communityYouth are consistently underrepresented in community planning processes for climate change, even though they are recognized as the future of their community. The focus of the research was on a program referred to as “Youth Advocacy for Resilience to Disasters” (YARDs), which was designed to help youth gain the knowledge and skills needed for meaningful involvement in the planning process.
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Study provides key insights for “good governance” of green schoolyardsGreen schoolyards are widely acknowledged for the range of benefits they provide to children and communities. However, little attention has been granted to the “governance configurations” of green schoolyards, which drive how green schoolyards are conceptualized, designed, implemented, maintained, and ultimately utilized by children. To clarify what constitutes “good governance,” this study examined many facets of green schoolyard development, including policy, stakeholder roles, and decision-making processes.
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Adult decision-makers may find a framework for “impactful co-design” helpful in engaging children in the design of health-promoting communities This study was based on the understanding that children are capable and knowledgeable regarding their health and local environments. It was also based on children’s right to meaningful participation in matters important to them.
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Environmental assessments based on an Affordance-Capability Approach to youth involvement can lead to the development of youth-enabling community environments Planning processes for public space environments generally do not include youth, even though youth are often the intended users of such community public spaces as parks. Excluding youth from the planning process can lead to under-utilized environments and limited opportunities for youth to engage in activities that promote their overall health and well-being.
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DRAFT
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Conservation education may benefit from incorporating participatory action research principlesThe urgency of the biodiversity crisis may necessitate new approaches to conservation education that more actively engage community participation. This study asks: how can “local communities' knowledge, perceptions, and experiences have a leading role in conservation research and decision‐making processes?” Three research frameworks for conservation education that may meet these aims are explored, including participatory action research (PAR), arts‐based education, and knowledge coproduction.