The following Arlington organizations have joined the ALSI Coalition in support of our mission to provide every child in our community with equitable access to nature on their schoolyards and our vision to transform our schoolyards into unique, parklike, restorative, biophilically designed, ecologically functional spaces that mitigate climate change by providing cooling shade, infiltrating stormwater, and providing habitat, while supporting recreation, contemplation, exploration, learning, and play.
4-H is a global youth development program that teaches young people citizenship, leadership, and life skills. While many associate 4-H with agriculture and livestock, 4H teaches those life skills through all kinds of projects, not just farm-based programs. In Arlington, 4-H runs primarily through Arlington Public Schools’ Extended Day programs, with an emphasis on reaching our Title I Schools. To learn more and get involved, visit the After School page of their website.
Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families (APCYF) vision is a community where all young people and families are valued, supported and empowered. The mission of APCYF is to improve the health, well-being, and safety of children, youth, and families in Arlington through researching young people’s needs, advocating for improved policies and programs to meet those needs, and engaging all members of our community as part of the solution.
Arlington Teen Network Board (TNB) is a County & School Board-appointed teen advocacy group comprised of Arlington 9th-12th grade students, from different backgrounds and parts of the county, to provide community voice for Arlington youth. TNB discusses issues, makes recommendations, and acts to improve the lives of all Arlington teens.
BikeArlington is Arlington County’s bike education and encouragement program. Their mission is to make it easy to get around Arlington– including to school– by bike. Active modes of transportation, including walking, biking and rolling, are central to Arlington’s vision of an equitable transportation system that enhances the overall quality of life for those who live, work and play in Arlington County. BikeArlington supports this vision by providing programs that support active transportation choices.
EarlySpace creates earth-friendly, child-friendly, nature play and learning spaces for schools, parks, and early childhood programs. The founder, Nancy Striniste is a landscape designer and former teacher who is the author of Nature Play at Home: Creating Outdoor Spaces that Connect Children to the Natural World. Follow EarlySpace on Instagram and Facebook.
EcoAction Arlington promotes connection with natural places, stewardship, and the value of individual action. Their work is local, community-based and makes a difference by empowering individuals with resources, training, and opportunities to collaborate leading to more sustainable lifestyle choices. EcoAction Arlington improves air quality, mitigates the carbon footprint of Arlington families, reduces pollution into the Chesapeake Bay, improves wildlife habitat, beautifies Arlington’s parks, and grows the environmental stewards of tomorrow.
Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA) is a citizens group formed in Arlington County to deepen community support and advance public stewardship in building a resilient, community-driven urban agriculture sector that provides a fair, healthy, green, economical, ecological, biophilic, and sustainable food system for all Arlingtonians. FOUA works with all elements of the urban agriculture sector to develop strategic plans and roadmaps to extend the presence and values of urban agriculture in our community. Specifically, FOUA advocates in support of urban agriculture entrepreneurs, green development that includes urban agricultural elements, and APS school leadership for outdoor environmental gardening education. FOUA believes that growing the ranks of urban agriculture producers and deepening the collaborations between local food gardeners and local food banks, will deliver bountiful benefits to the residents, wildlife, ecosystems, environment and climate of Arlington County.
Healthy Community Action Team Arlington (HCAT) is a coalition of local partners working to prevent and reduce childhood obesity in Arlington County. HCAT leads and coordinates local efforts among our coalition partners to improve children’s health through increased physical activity and outdoor play opportunities and ensure all children have access to healthy and nutritious healthy food choices. HCAT’s activities also encourage children to develop a strong relationship with nature and the outdoors to promote an active lifestyle, reduce screen time and spark curiosity.
Nature Club Kids (NCK) is a nature immersion program for all learners. Through sensory awareness activities, ephemeral art, science-based inquiries, and a focus on local ecology, learners experience wonder and cultivate earth stewardship, gratitude and a reciprocal relationship to nature. Bird language, bio-mimicry, primitive skills, games, gardening, hiking and storytelling are just a few of the empowering activities NCK delves into as they tune into and observe the complexities of the natural world and learn to be woodland wise.
NoVA Outside is an alliance of outdoor educators who connect and teach people about their natural environment. NoVA Outside offers professional development related to outdoor learning for educators, a monthly newsletter filled with local, regional, and national resources, grants, training and more. NoVA Outside is the host of the annual SEAS (Student Environmental Action Showcase). Follow NoVA Outside on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to their mailing list to learn more and keep up with their latest offerings.
NoVA Outside is the northern Virginia regional affiliate of Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE).
NoVA Outside is a 501(c)(3) and is the fiscal sponsor of ALSI.
PlantNovaNatives works to inform, motivate, and support everyone, including schools to plant trees and plants that are native to our region. Their website is a wealth of resources and information on all aspects of native plants including their benefits to schoolyard and regional ecology, and children’s educational experiences.
WalkArlington thinks everyone deserves to get around at any age and ability easily and comfortably—where the grocery store is just steps away, the streets support human activity, and there are spaces for community. Their mission is to get more people walking, more of the time, in a more walkable environment in Arlington County, Virginia. On their website you can find walking tours and events, updates about walking projects around the County, self-guided walking route maps, and resources to support better walking in Arlington– including kids walking to school!