Mindfulness U: Take It Outside

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Publication Date

2025

Presentation Length

15 minutes

College

Interdisciplinary Studies & Global Education

Department

Honors Program

Student Level

Undergraduate

SPARK Category

Research

Faculty Advisor

Stacy Eliott

WELL Core Type

Environmental Wellness

Metadata/Fulltext

Fulltext

SPARK Session

Stacy Elliott, 2PM, Ayers 2142

Presentation Type

Talk/Oral

Summary

College is a major transitional period for students entering adulthood. It is found to be a stressful time as students work to adjust and balance responsibilities. To minimize negative outcomes later in life, mental health is a priority objective. The mental health crisis, specifically among students, has gained significant attention, sparking a search for meaningful ways to support their well-being. One valuable but often overlooked solution is encouraging students to spend time in natural environments. Research suggests there are mental and emotional benefits to engaging in nature. Also, learning about nature has the added benefit of raising awareness for our ecosystem, the climate, and sustainability. We implemented a plan to teach about nature and organize a communal outdoor event. These served as separate experiments to measure the benefits of learning about nature and the benefits of communal engagement in nature. Both events improved nature education and mental health. We were also interested in measuring different modes of learning and engaging. Some prefer theory, and others prefer the field, and comparing which Belmont students generally prefer might point to a good model of community engagement for Belmont in the future. Both events had significant attendance, and surveys proved both events significantly impacted mental health and education on nature. We also received feedback on what would’ve made these events more impactful, which gave insights into what students want from their experiences in nature.

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