"It's really calming," says one teen. "It just helps me chill out."
He's talking about getting outdoors and doing stuff like hiking, kayaking, and canoeing. Research has shown that engaging in outdoor activity can reduce stress, calm anger, decrease anxiety, and improve memory, attention, and regulate impulse control. Local nonprofit Adventure Crew gives teens opportunities to get outside and have fun, learn, and experience the joy of working and playing together in the outdoors. Adventure Crew staff and volunteers work with more than two dozen schools and nearly a thousand kids.
Soapbox Media spoke to Adventure Crew youth, and members of its staff plus a community advisor during the annual Paddlefest event on the Ohio River as part of Soapbox's
Amplifying Youth Voices series. The video was produced by
Fourthwall Youth Studios, Cincinnati.
To read the latest in the Amplifying Youth Voices series, click here. The series is made possible with support from Interact for Health. To learn more about Interact for Health's commitment to mental health and well-being, please visit here.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.