Saving Towns Thru Asset Revitalization
(STAR)
Guide To No Child
Left Inside
2008-2009
2008-2009
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PREAMBLE
Research has shown that time spent outdoors is an environmental determinant that strongly correlates with increased physical activity and fitness in children (Sallis et al, 2003; Moore, L et al, 2003; Finn, et al 2002 taken from Natural Learning website). A powerful strategy to offset the major shift in the past thirty years in childhood and adolescence outdoor play to a sedentary indoor lifestyle is to create esthetically pleasing, attractive community environmental design options that provide a dramatically different outdoor environment for family and neighborhood residents.
Addressing the problems of family and individual sedentary lifestyles and inadequate greenspace options involve an appreciation of the voices, concerns, and issues of those inhabitants of the target low-wealth, depressed neighborhoods and municipalities. Far too often, forestry, horticulture and other experts make decisions for their audiences based on funding imperatives and/or bureaucratic mandates. When citizen voices are included in the design plan for program development, constituency groups of long standing advocacy and influence in the neighborhood or community inevitable are called upon to "speak" for the majority of residents whose voices have been long since marginalized in the decision-making process for community improvement and betterment. The South-North Greenspace Initiative will ensure a greater voice to everyday people's views, aspirations, and realities in the planning and implementation of greenspace assets.
We intend to conduct community meetings, focus group sessions, special topic meetings and sponsored events throughout our target areas, with a special emphasis on visioning tools that allow everyday people to see the transformation of their places into nature-rich environments for family and community revitalization.
No Child
Left Inside Coalition
