Credits

Health Working Group Participants

The dedicated volunteers from around the country, listed alphabetically below, participated in the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative’s Health Working Group, which began in August 2020 and is still in progress. The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of the organizations and individuals who are collaborating to make this Initiative possible.

Working Group Leaders

  • Mary Michaud, MPP, Health & Social Impact Strategies, LLC

  • Zach Pine, MD, Zach Pine Create with Nature

Working Group Coordinator

  • Lauren McKenna, MLA, Green Schoolyards America

Working Group Participants

  • Mila Antova, PLA, Moody Graham

  • Liz Badley, Common Ground Childcare

  • Karen Canan

  • Eric M. Cherry, MS, Hexagon Environmental

  • Sharon Danks, MLA-MCP, Green Schoolyards America

  • Sean den Bok, Seattle Aquarium

  • Laura Derrendinger, BSN, RN, MIA

  • Sarah Gill, MPP

  • Frederic S. Goldstein, MS, Accountable Health, LLC

  • Michelle Jonelis, MD, Sleep Medicine Physician

  • Caitlin Koob, OTR/L Student, PhD, Program in Applied Research and Evaluation, Clemson University

  • Abigail Levinson Marks, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

  • Sunna Mahmood

  • Cathy Nguyen, Landscape Designer

  • Sayaka Ogata, NP

  • Marci Raney, PhD, Department of Kinesiology, Occidental College

  • Kathy Reiner, MPH, BSN, RN

  • Mike Smith, Seattle Aquarium

  • Donnan Stoicovy, State College Friends School

  • Betsy Ukeritis, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

  • Christina Vassallo, MSN, FNP-BC

  • Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA,
    Boston University Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program and Amy Wagenfeld | Design

Subgroup Leaders

  • The names of our subgroup leaders, who led the discussion for specific content areas within this working group, are denoted in these lists in bold text.

Health Webinar Speakers

  • Caesar Djavaherian, MD, Carbon Health

  • Claire Latané, MLA, ASLA, LEED AP, SITES AP, Landscape Architecture Department, Cal Poly Pomona

  • Nooshin Razani, MD, MPH, Center for Nature and Health, University of California at San Francisco

Reviewers from the Health Working Group

  • Sarah Gill, MPP

  • Frederic S. Goldstein, MS, Accountable Health, LLC

  • Zach Pine, MD, Zach Pine Create with Nature

  • Kathy Reiner, MPH, BSN, RN

  • Christina Vassallo, MSN, FNP-BC

Reviewers from the Equity Working Group

  • Sara Barnes, Sierra Nevada Journeys

  • Kevin Condon, Bird School Project

  • Betsy Ukeritis, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

  • Alyssa Wagner, Sierra Nevada Journeys

National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative

The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative supports schools and districts around the country in their efforts to reopen safely and equitably using outdoor spaces as strategic, cost-effective tools to increase physical distancing capacity onsite and provide access to abundant fresh air. The Initiative seeks to equitably improve learning, mental and physical health, and happiness for children and adults using an affordable, time-tested outdoor approach to keeping schools open during a pandemic.

The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative was co-founded in May 2020 by Green Schoolyards America, The Lawrence Hall of Science, San Mateo County Office of Education, and Ten Strands. It has now grown to include more than 20 other partner organizations that are collaborating to build a national movement, hundreds of participating volunteers, and foundation partners.