No Child Left InsideSM Initiative
Across Connecticut, 138 state parks and forests are family adventures waiting to happen. To launch those adventures, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection in 2005 announced the “No Child Left InsideSM Initiative.”
At the heart of Connecticut’s effort is “The Great Park Pursuit”—a multiweek competition in which families decode clues and join challenges while discovering parks and forests across the state. More than 400 families participated in The Pursuit’s inaugural 2006 season—and that number keeps growing, with more than 900 families joining in the 2008 season.
Now, Connecticut seeks to build on its success, expanding its efforts with new programs, including: the “Great Farm Adventure”; more year-round park interpreters; podcasts; a focus on grandparents as caregivers; “Bike and Hike for Health and Happiness,” which seeks to help kids develop healthy lifestyles; and a research effort with universities, health care providers and insurance companies to study the No Child Left InsideSM Initiative’s impact on kids.
To make the most of this expanded effort, Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection seeks private sector support and hopes to share best practices with other state agencies across the country. Truly, no matter what the season or state, nature has something to share—and no child should be left inside.
To Learn More
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
diane.joy@ct.gov
79 Elm Street,
Hartford, CT, 06106
860.424.3973
www.NoChildLeftInside.org
