On Friday, Oct. 20 Teens to Trails kicked off the 3rd annual Life Happens Outside® Challenge for middle schools (grades 6-8) in Maine. The challenge is designed to get students and teachers outdoors, as research shows that spending time outside positively impacts mental and physical health.
Teens to Trails has made it easy for school communities to participate. Any activity outside counts from doing homework at a picnic table, biking to school, sports practice or even backyard camping. The three schools that tally the most outdoor minutes, based on school size and population, will win $1,000 each towards outdoor programming for their students.
“We are so excited to offer the Life Happens Outside® Challenge for middle schools,” said Teens to Trails Executive Director Alicia Heyburn. “Teens to Trails is committed to improving the whole body health of Maine teens, and that can happen when students spend more time outdoors engaged in fun activities. Last year, despite a pretty rainy week, students, staff and teachers amazed us with their creativity. One PE class biked every day at lunch, and students built forts to sleep in. We can’t wait to see what students will do outside this year.”
When asked last year about the highlights of the challenge, one student wrote, “I definitely enjoyed being outside. I loved how it was a very simple thing for me to do with a huge outcome.” And another said, “Spending more time outdoors made me feel more active and helped relieve lots of stress.”
Teachers at Dedham School, one of the 2022 winners, discovered that students really enjoyed taking charge. “Although adults were there to supervise, most activities were student-led! It really was just kids outside having fun being kids… over two-thirds of our middle schoolers stayed each day …,” said Tim Pearson, PE teacher at Dedham.
Unum is the lead sponsor of the Life Happens Outside® Challenge, and will also be encouraging their staff to enjoy extra time outside during the one week challenge. “There are many benefits to be had when we step outside. Unum is thrilled to support this year’s Life Happens Outside® Challenge. Together we can encourage students to build a lifelong connection with nature and their communities through the boundless possibilities that await them outside!” says Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Kelly Thayer.
The Life Happens Outside® Challenge runs through Friday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. All Maine middle schools are eligible to participate, entry is free and available at https://teenstotrails.org/life-happens-outside-challenge.
Winners will be announced in early November.