The power and necessity of the outdoors

We all know that spending time in the outdoors, especially in nature is good for us. A growing body of research links spending time in natural environments with numerous cognitive benefits, better physical health, and improvements in mental health and emotional well-being.

It’s important for rangatahi too. Now more than ever.

“Right now students need opportunities to build resilience, challenge themselves, stretch their boundaries and conquer fears in safe outdoor environments away from lives which are overshadowed by distractions and disruptions caused by current events.”

Rāroa Normal Intermediate School Principal Stephen Eames

Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC), particularly when it’s nature-based, provides the opportunity for learning and wellbeing in the outdoors. At Hillary Outdoors we deliver outdoor education and activity group-based programmes that enable students to grow as people, enhance their wellbeing, provide a platform for them to become more self-confident and resilient, encourage them to work together in a team and have the opportunity to develop leadership within a group and confidence for themselves. The students learn life skills and gain new experiences, work together, learn about their environment and become sustainability aware.

But there are financial barriers to outdoor education and many schools require funding assistance to access outdoor education programmes. But thanks to the generous support of Share My Super donors these schools and students don’t miss out.

By removing funding barriers to outdoor education you help level the playing field so that all young people are empowered to live a life they value and take their learning experience back to their everyday lives, families and communities.

Learning outdoors is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a have-to-have for our health and wellbeing. Thank you Share My Super donors for helping make this happen for young New Zealanders.

To learn more about Share My Super visit their website sharemysuper.org.nz