K-12 students participating in environmental education programs at school have fewer discipline problems

In a study by the State Education and Environment Roundtable, educators were asked to report on the effect of using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning on their students’ interpersonal skills. In response to the survey,
- 98% of respondents reported “better ability to work in group settings”
- 94% reported “stronger communication skills”
- 93% reported “acting with greater civility towards others”
Source: Lieberman, G.A. & Hoody, L.L. (1998). Closing the achievement gap: Using the environment as an integrating context for learning. http://www.seer.org/pages/execsum.pdf

Meanwhile, according to Richard Louv in Last Child in the Woods (2005),
- In Little Falls, MN, “students in the environment-based program had 54% fewer suspensions than other ninth-graders”
- At Hotckiss Elementary School in Dallas, disciplinary referrals to the principal’s office dropped by 90% after the environment-based program was introduced

Source: Louv, R. (2005). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. New York: Algonquin Books.