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Ahead of an in-person program in November, Fellows have produced a Statement to influence thinking, policy, and approaches

Since November 2021, the Children & Nature Network, in partnership with Salzburg Global Seminar, the International School Grounds Alliance, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, #NatureForAll, and the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families, have worked together on the Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds & Outdoor Learning project.

This project engages global leaders and practitioners to build networks of like-minded organizations and individuals to identify scalable strategies and deepen our understanding of how to support the worldwide movement of schoolyard greening.

Fellows participating in the online program have drafted a new Salzburg Statement to influence thinking, policy, and approaches to school grounds and outdoor learning opportunities.

This Statement, published in September, will support a global action agenda to ensure that all children and communities have access to green school grounds and outdoor learning.

Fellows will work on this agenda when they meet at Schloss Leopoldskron, in Salzburg, Austria, in November 2022.

For more information and other translations of the Statement, please visit schoolgroundgreening.org.

Download the Salzburg Statement as a PDF

Read the full Salzburg Statement below:

Read an excerpt of the Salzburg Statement below:

There is growing momentum worldwide to scale school ground greening as a sensible and thoughtful approach to increase climate resilience and improve health and education outcomes, especially for those most impacted by systems of inequity and environmental injustices.

Scientific evidence shows that transforming school grounds into nature-rich environments is a powerful tool that improves physical and mental health, social and cognitive skills, creativity, and academic performance. The ability to play, learn and grow on school grounds allows children and young people to be connected to nature and, in turn, protect it and itsinhabitants, which is essential for actions to mitigate climate change.

We strongly recommend greening school grounds and outdoor learning should both be implemented, resourced, and expanded for the following five key reasons:

- Play
- Health & Wellbeing
- Climate Resilience & Biodiversity
- Community Engagement
- Education