When you step onto the SYV Family School campus, there are some unique differences from other schools. The differences really begin from the turn-off of HWY 154 onto Figueroa Mountain Road. The first few times you drive the seven-mile stretch from Los Olivos to the school campus, it might feel like a long way, and maybe like you’re getting lost, or perhaps accidentally going camping up on the mountain.
If you’re game to slow down and look up, you might notice that this is a unique and special school commute. Long rolling hills that vary in color throughout the year; the hawks gliding the ridge, tarantulas and a flock of turkeys crossing the road. Horses and cows, crows and buzzards, squirrels, and the pair of mating bald eagles that hunt them. It’s never a boring drive!
But more than an entertaining drive, the commute up Figueroa Mountain is a kind of brain prep for the learning day ahead. That’s because science shows us that even a small dose of nature improves our mental health and prepares our brain for learning.
Nature’s Good Mood Effect
According to the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, research shows that even a small dose of nature benefits our mental health. Using test participants who spent an hour in both a rural and urban environment showed that exposure to nature in a rural forest setting did not produce a spike in the amygdala - the primal origin responsible for flight of fight - as compared to the participants in the urban setting.
The results of this study showed that even short exposure to nature has preventative effects on mental health problems. These results support a previous study found in a 2017 Scientific Reports, that revealed people living nearby and having access to nature showed a physiologically healthier amygdala structure, and therefore, presumably better able to cope with stress.
Less Stress, Better Learning
The good news doesn't stop there. In addition to less stress and better brain function, research using an EEG to monitor brain activity shows that exposure to natural environments also results in better attention, increased focus, cognitive flexibility, and creativity.
“We frequently see this in our students,” commented the Head of School, Julianne Tullis-Thompson. “We have students that come to us after struggling in other settings, and within a few weeks, we see a change in their ability to engage and comprehend on a deeper level with the information presented to them.
“In my opinion, it’s not coincidental,” Julianne continues. “Students of different ages and learning styles exhibit an understanding of the curriculum that goes beyond rote memorization.”Julianne attributes this to the structure of the day, and the location of the school. In her experience, the research bears out with living proof that the rural setting minimizes distractions.“Add to that the abundant sunshine, open views, and fresh air, and it all works together to impact the students in the most positive ways,” Julianne said.
Extra Dose of Nature
The school doubles down on this natural partner for better learning by regularly incorporating outdoor activity into the school day. Students can be found running a lap before a quiz, using chalk on the basketball court to puzzle out a new math concept, or reading in the sunshine during quiet reading time.
“We see our natural environment as a partner in the education process. We know that kids who move their bodies and get plenty of fresh air have a better outlook on challenges and new ideas. Nature is a resource and we gladly foster this collaboration.”
The next time you drive up Figueroa Mountain road to campus, we invite you to look up and take in the natural medicine and brain primer that is our natural setting. When you arrive, we’ll welcome you with open arms as we prepare for a mood-boosting, fun day of learning.
If you would like to learn more about The SYV Family School, please visit https://www.syvfamilyschool.org/ and follow along to see what’s happening around campus on our IG @thesyvfamilyschool.
Information from this article was sourced from sciencedaily.com and unr.edu/nevada
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