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young children and teenagers experiences in nature to foster confidence, natural curiosity, a deepening awareness of the intricacies of the world around them and a chance to develop into leaders and mentors in our community. Investing in the youth of the community by funding our program, strengthens their connections to each other, nature, and their outdoor and leadership skills. This provides a better quality, more sustainable way of life making for happier kids. This ripples through the community making it a more enjoyable place to live, which is part of the Carrboro 2020 Vision. Getting kids outside and active addresses the problem we have nationwide with childhood obesity and the alarming and increasing rate Type II diabetes as a result of sedentary lifestyles. Since this is a school program intended for all after school participants free of charge, it gives Community Schools after school program value, and in turn the community. j) Describe what would happen if requested funding is not awarded at all or if a reduced allocation is recommended. The ability to work with an entire after school program reaching students that would not participate in our programs due to financial constraints, limited transportation, or lack of experience with outdoor activities, is unique. At our other after school programs, parents must pay an additional fee. We have funds for scholarships but only enough to grant a dozen, so only a few students benefit. Because of our need to reallocate funds for the next few years, we do not have additional funding in our budget to provide a free program. k) Include any other pertinent information. Research has shown that on average, children spend 4.5 hours a day on the internet, playing video games and /or watching TV. Offering sufficient outdoor time improves the overall health of our children while lengthening attention spans, diminishing aggressiveness, improving test scores and ultimately advancing learning. A plethora of research has indicated that hands -on environmental education has a measurably positive impact not only on student achievement in science, but also in reading, social studies, and mathematics. Outdoor activity has also been proven to improve eyesight, provide Vitamin D for strong bones and healthy hearts, lower and help children maintain safe body weight, and has been shown to reduce attention deficit symptoms. A 2009 study by researchers Andrea Taylor and Frances Kuo found that twenty minutes in a park setting was sufficient to elevate attention performance relative to the same amount of time in other settings. These findings indicate that environments can enhance attention not only in the general population but also in ADHD populations. "Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park." Journal of Attention Disorders, 12, 402 -409. Studies also show that children with more participatory learning experiences have a greater aptitude for leadership, vision and inspired action. 1/12/2017 2:56:42 PM 14 Of 29