International School Grounds Alliance

[rac...@educationoutside.org]

Dear all,

I'd like to make you aware of a great organization working internationally on green school grounds called the International School Grounds Alliance (http://www.internationalschoolgrounds.org/). My organization, Education Outside, helped organize the founding conference in the Bay Area in 2011 and the organization has since grown and has held conferences in Canada, Bali, Sweden, Germany, and this fall the conference will be in Japan. Becoming involved and attending conferences is a fantastic way to connect with all the amazing work happening across the globe related to green schoolyard design, education, and policy. 

As an example of some of the work ISGA has done regarding policy change, it recently drafted and released a declaration on risk in play (http://www.internationalschoolgrounds.org/risk/): The Declaration cites research from around the globe demonstrating the benefits of risk-taking and showing that indiscriminate risk-minimization policy can be a source of harm. The Declaration calls on those who plan and manage school environments to take benefits of risk into account. It further encourages parents, school officials, legislators and insurers to devise policies and processes that permit schools to provide activities with beneficial levels of risk.

ISGA's first declaration on school grounds can be found here http://www.internationalschoolgrounds.org/westerbeke-declaration/ and inspired a California state resolution to make May "Living Schoolyards Month."

I hope to see you at a future conference!

Rachel

Education Outside

www.educationoutside.org