environmental awareness to our chil-
dren or are they promoting practices
Color me Happy!
and products that confuse or cancel our
efforts at home? This school year resolve
Healthy Self-Esteem and Creativity
to help spread the word at your children’s
school to “go green!” by Casey Eckels
There are many non-profit organiza-
tions available to help your school get
started in the right direction. Dream In M
any parents and educators are
familiar with the huge body of
Green, for example, is a local organiza- research that supports the importance of
tion providing a unique program for creativity as the foundation of academic
educating K-12 students about environ- success, critical thinking and problem-
mental and energy challenges by getting solving skills. But there is equal evidence
them involved in real world solutions that allowing space in a child’s life for
that reduce energy consumption, waste arts, music, drama and play is vital to
and greenhouse gas emissions. Visit building a healthy self-concept and self-
www.dreamingreen.org to find out more esteem.
about “The Green Schools Challenge”. You may be surprised to think of
Hilary Martin is the Director of Sales unstructured playtime being included
and Marketing for Growkids, an earth- on the list, along with visual and audi- Children need a safe place where
friendly fund-raising company. Growkids tory arts, but play is a natural vehicle for they are encouraged to follow their own
mission is to nurture and educate chil- imaginative self-expression. Play creates inner spirits and visions. Providing them
dren by engaging them, their teachers the opportunity for children to explore a simple selection of materials - clay or
and parents in making earth-friendly different roles, test consequences, and mud, sand, water, dough, paint or open-
decisions that benefit our current evaluate their own feelings. ended materials and few, if any, rules (for
and future generations. School fund- The research also highlights an safety of self and others), is the begin-
raisers— why not teach the kids about interesting insight. While structured ning of creating such a space. The goal
the importance of doing the right thing creativity and play (art/dance/drama/ is to work towards no external goals but
for the environment while also helping sports) are very worthwhile and provide rather to allow their imaginations to un-
their school at the same time! Growkids opportunities to build social skills, it is ravel at their own pace, in freedom, and
is confident that helping “raise money also extremely important that children to discover the insights and joys hiding
while raising environmental awareness” are given unstructured creative and play within the limitless world of their minds.
supports the common goal of a better time. If we think of each child, each hu- Open-ended materials are particu-
overall environment for our children. Visit man being, as inherently a “work of art,” larly easy to come by and need never be
www.growkids.org or call 800.823.4595 then we can see more clearly the need purchased. Whether selecting natural
to learn more about Growkids, earth- for letting those “works of art” express materials like sticks and stones or man-
friendly fund raising! themselves in their own unique ways. made treasures like old compact discs
August 2008 29
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