April 22nd, 2024 marks the 54th Earth Day. Learn how it is a great chance to continue to raise awareness in the environment among your students.

Spring has sprung, and it&rsquo;s time to get outside! Warmer temperatures and longer days mean many wonderful opportunities to take your teaching beyond the classroom and into the sunshine. A change of location is not only great for your students&rsquo; attention spans, but increased time outdoors may be good for their health as well. Growing awareness of the impact of poor mental health has concerned many across the world. One study from the Lancet, for example, noted &ldquo;about 14% of the global burden of disease has been attributed to neuropsychiatric disorders, mostly due to the chronically disabling nature of depression and other common mental disorders, alcohol-use and substance-use disorders, and psychoses,&rdquo; (Prince, et al, 2007). With such a serious impact, it is important to address mental health concerns among our students whenever possible.

Environmental and outdoor education has been increasingly recognized as beneficial for students of all ages. While special outdoor schools and school-sponsored field trips are wonderful, getting students outside for even a short time can make a positive impact on their health. One 2020 study noted that &quot;even when time spent outdoors in nature is restricted to one hour a week and repeated across the duration of a full academic year, children show an improvement in their mood and wellbeing&quot;.&nbsp; (Harvey, et al, 2020). Clearly, making even small changes to include the outdoors in lessons and activities can benefit your students.

If you&#39;re looking for a great excuse to get your students outside, Earth Day 2024 is right around the corner! It was founded in the United States in 1970 and encourages participants to focus on environmental education, conservation, and sustainability. Earth Day&rsquo;s impact began right at the start. &ldquo;By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first-of-their-kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act&rdquo;, (EarthDay.org, 2024). Today its influence stretches far beyond the United States, encouraging many countries and organizations across the world to focus on environmental education and sustainability.

This year will mark the 54th year of Earth Day on April 22nd, and it is a great opportunity to continue to raise awareness and interest in the environment among your students by taking part in local activities or even leading them at your own school. The theme for this year&rsquo;s event is &ldquo;Planet v. Plastics&rdquo;, and students are encouraged to focus on ways to reduce the impact of plastics on the environment. Some ways your students can get involved include:

<ul>
	<li>Organize a volunteer day to pick up trash.</li>
	<li>Learn about your local environment and wildlife!</li>
	<li>Educate others about the importance of recycling.</li>
</ul>

There are plenty of other ways to get your students involved in environmental education, indoors and out! Here are some great resources to help you and your students celebrate Earth Day and the environment any day:

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.epa.gov/students" target="_blank">Learning and Teaching about the Environment from the US Environmental Protection Agency</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.hmhco.com/blog/earth-day-activities-games-for-elementary-students" target="_blank">9 Earth Day Activities for Elementary Students</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.plt.org/educator-tips/earth-day-activities/" target="_blank">Earth Day Activities to Inspire Your Students and Make a Difference</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://specialneedsforspecialkids.org/2019/04/08/25-excellent-earth-day-activities-for-a-special-ed-classroom/" target="_blank">25 Excellent Earth Day Activities for a Special Ed Classroom</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/youth-engagement/nature-lab/" target="_blank">Nature Lab by The Nature Conservancy</a></li>
</ul>

<h4>References:</h4>

<ul>
	<li>Harvey, D., Montgomery, L., Harvey, H., Hall, F., Gange, A., and Watling, D. (2020). Psychological benefits of a biodiversity-focussed outdoor learning program for primary school children. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 67(101381). 
	<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101381">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101381</a></li>
	<li>Our History: The Idea for the First Earth Day - EarthDay.org. (2024, April 1). EarthDay.org. 
	<a href="http://www.earthday.org/history/">http://www.earthday.org/history/</a>
	</li>
	<li>Prince, M., Patel, V., Saxena, S., Maj, M., Maselko, J., and Phillips, M., et al. (2007). No health without mental health. The Lancet, 370 (9590) , 859-877. 
	<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61238-0">https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61238-0</a>
	</li>
</ul>

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