Schools that Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind

The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative invited Claire Latané, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, to share her research and expertise about how to design outdoor environments at schools to promote mental health. Her presentation was given on October 27, 2020, during a meeting of the National Initiative's "Working Group 11: Community of Practice for Early Adopter Schools and Districts." This working group includes schools and districts across the country that are creating outdoor classrooms to take learning outside as a response to COVID-19.

For more information, please see:

National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative's website https://www.greenschoolyards.org/covid-learn-outside

Claire Latané, MLA ASLA SITES AP
https://env.cpp.edu/la/faculty/claire-latan%C3%A9

Speak bio:
Claire Latané, MLA ASLA SITES AP, works on design for mental health and well-being, climate-appropriate design, and promoting equitable access to humane urban environments and nature. She organized the Emergency Schoolyard Design Volunteers for the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, led by Green Schoolyards America, The Lawrence Hall of Science, San Mateo County Office of Education, and Ten Strands. In 2017, the Landscape Architecture Foundation selected Claire as one of the inaugural Fellows for Innovation and Leadership to explore school design that supports students' mental health, well-being, and safety. Her book Schools that Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind will be published by Island Press in early 2021.