Why Outdoor Education?
The Benefits of Outdoor Programming
Addressing Stress and the Mental Health Epidemic
“Consider that a young adult living in North America today has a 1-in-4 chance of depression, versus 1-in-10 odds of just two generations ago” (Selhub & Logan, 2012, p. 40).
In a study of 18,000 adolescents aged 4-17, it was found that 1 in 10 have ADHD, a number that has increased 80% in the last 20 years (Bhargava, 2022).
Multiple studies have been conducted to define and assess stress in adolescents, often finding that “stress has been associated with a variety of high-risk behaviors, including smoking, suicide, depression, drug abuse, behavioral problems, and participating in high-risk sexual behaviors” (LaRue & Herrman, 2008, p. 375).
If teenagers are acting out largely in response to stressors, and research shows this is a common occurrence, then it follows that decreasing or removing these stressors could also help mitigate the personal risk. Outdoor programming can utilize nature’s benefits as a way to relieve stress.
Nature has been said to calm those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and interactions with nature can help control anxiety and depression (Coles, 2016). Other studies have further confirmed the theory that nature helps physical and mental health (Holmes, 2003; Olsen, 2009; Selhub & Logan, 2012; Williams, 2016).
After a UK “30 Days Wild” campaign, Campaign Manager Lucy McRobert said, “Nature isn’t a miracle cure for diseases, but by interacting with it, spending time in it, experiencing it and appreciating it we can reap the benefits of feeling happier and healthier as a result” (Coles 2016).
Williams (2016) also wrote that walking amongst trees can decrease stress hormones by 16 percent. The concern is that even though the data proves improved mental health is associated with increased time outdoors, only 10 percent of American teenagers spend time outside every day (Williams, 2016).
“Throughout our evolution, we’ve spent 99.9 percent of our time in nature. Our physiology is still adapted to it. During everyday life, a feeling of comfort can be achieved if our rhythms are synchronized with those of the environment” (Williams, 2017, p. 23). Spending time outdoors has been proven to offer positive effects on the body and mind, so even though there are risks involved, outdoor education offers a positive stimulus to evoke happiness simply by having a positive encounter with nature.
Encouraging Social Interaction, Offline Opportunities, and Increased Empathy
It is possible that technology is not the answer to knowledge or nature connection. Technology has its benefits, especially in regard to the accessibility of research and the simplification of certain interactions. However, in finding a personal experience and building relationships with humans and nature, technology can act as a barrier.
“Connection to the natural world (biophilia), the building of relationships, the storehouse of shared memories, immersion in a more diverse sensory world, and the opportunity to become more embodied are all extended possibilities that adventure programming might offer” (Blenkensop, Beeman, & Brown, 2012, p. 7).
Screen-time has been shown to increase depression as people compare themselves to others. Between 2007 and 2014, suicide rates doubled in those 10 to 14 years of age. Suicide is now the 2nd leading cause of death in people between 15 and 24 (Bhargava, 2022).
Increased time on a phone has also shown correlations to ADHD behavior. One study followed 2,587 teenagers for two years. At the beginning of the study, none of the participants showed signs of ADHD, but by the end, those who spent the most time on their phones showed more symptoms (Bhargava, 2022).
Time interacting with screens also means less time interacting with other people directly. This has caused people to lose the ability to communicate effectively, increasing the inability to read facial expressions, emotions, and body language. This, in turn, has led to lower empathy for others (Bhargava, 2022). Time in an outdoor program forces students to disconnect from their phones and interact with people and the world around them.
Time without phones is incredibly important, especially for teens. Teens who “invested more time in non-screen activities” have reported feeling happier overall (Bhargava, 2022).
Instilling Transferable Life Skills
Being able to prepare but still react to the unexpected is part of outdoor programming, but it is also a part of life. Adventure education is a more structured way to face unexpected events while also having a leader to act as a guide and role model.
Practice in making rational decisions and holding each other accountable can help a group succeed but will also teach students teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and leadership.
To look inward and understand oneself is arguably the greatest risk a participant can take while on an outdoor trip. The calming effect positive nature interactions elicit can open doors for introspective analysis and growth, allowing students to become more self-aware and independent.
Outdoor education can help adolescents start their journey of self-exploration and the task of handling adversity in a healthy way. It is similar to a vaccine – participants get a small dose of risk so they can better handle larger obstacles in the future, just like the body building up antibodies to fend off a virus.
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. Failure is success in progress.”
Framing Failure as Constructive Growth
Teens reported they are often pushed to a high level of stress in part because of a fear of failure (LaRue & Herman, 2008).
Outdoor adventure is an opportunity to learn that failure leads to growth and should not have the negative connotation Western society places on it. “There is no value in succeeding if you don’t understand the possibility of loss” (NOLS, 2017).
Fear and the attachment to failure may hinder people from taking risks. As a leader in outdoor programming, it is necessary to help alleviate these fears as much as possible by building a positive group culture and preparing the group for various challenges they may face (Leemon, et al., 2019).
Introducing Positive Risk and Adversity
Concept of risk is usually negative and also used as an excuse to avoid outdoor programs. But risk is inherent with other school-sanctioned events, such as organized sports. Athletic programs deal with a higher percentage of injuries from the inherent risks than outdoor programs (Gaudio, Greenwald, & Holton, 2010). A study in 2007 reported that the Cornell Outdoor Program (COP) saw .1% of its participants injured through outdoor events, most of these from mountain biking. In contrast, NCAA reported that .5% of athletes experienced injuries participating in a college sport (Gaudio, Greenwald, & Holton, 2010).
Studies in neuroscience have shown that risk-taking increases between childhood and adolescence “around the time of puberty in the brain’s socio-emotional system leading to increased reward-seeking, especially in the presence of peers, fueled mainly by a dramatic remodeling of the brain’s dopaminergic system,” (Steinberg, 2008).
Teenagers will take personal risks no matter their surroundings, so if that can be harnessed into an outdoor activity and coupled with the balancing example of professional risk, then outdoor programs are arguably a solution to a neurological concern.
Adults are not immune to taking risks, but personal risk for the sake of taking risks seems to be more common in the underdeveloped brain of teenagers.
If teens learn how to manage adversity through professional risks inherent in outdoor programming, then they may be less likely to lash out and take unsafe or unhealthy personal risks.
As outlined by NOLS programming: “The inherent risks we encounter in the wilderness drive home many of the lessons we teach our students. NOLS students play a vital role in managing risk, and we teach risk management by practicing leadership and wilderness skills and by facilitating experiences to develop judgment” (Leemon, et al., 2019, p. 6).
“Risk and benefit cannot be separated in an attempt at self-transformation. What is of value (the benefit) and what is to be avoided (the risk) in self-transformation are two sides of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other” (Blenkensop et al., 2012, p. 7).
“By not taking any risks […] one risks not living one’s authentic life.”