Expanding Nature Education Access

Students looking at a feather with an Outdoor Educator.

With funding for transportation and program costs available for over 750 students in northern Ottawa County, our Parks for All pilot program was in full swing this spring. All of the fourth-grade students from the participating pilot districts, Allendale, Coopersville, Spring Lake, and Grand Haven, visited a park near their school for a program that supported what they were learning in the classroom.

The Parks for All pilot program was supported by a grant from the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, as well as with funds from the Ottawa County Parks Foundation. This initiative aims to provide relevant educational programming to every 4th grade student in Ottawa County in a county park near their school. We are excited to partner with many more schools in our area in the future!

Expected Outcomes

An increasing number of studies have concluded that time spent outdoors is beneficial to people of all ages. Parks for All aims to:

Students participating in a matching activity provided through the Parks for All curriculum.

• Provide opportunities for students to build a stronger connection to nature and instill a sense of comfort and welcome in the outdoors

• Improve students’ mental and physical health

• Provide hands-on, fun, and engaging activities to help students understand how select animal adaptions connect them to a habitat, while meeting related NGSS standards

• Remove obstacles that prevent children from experiencing nature by providing financial support to families and school districts who are in need

• Increase a stewardship mindset within the community

The program will use pre- and post- assessments to collect data that addresses these outcomes, as well as educational outcomes for teachers.