Immersive outdoor education and mental health in youth: comparing Norway and Canada

Abstract

This research explores how immersive outdoor education contributes to positive mental health in youth. As sustainability and environmental protection become more essential with a changing climate in the Anthropocene, society must adapt by instilling said values in their younger populations. Considerations of immersive outdoor educational experiences are explored through interviews with key representatives of this educational sector in both Norway and Canada. Results in this research contribute to the Canadian efforts to mandate outdoor educational experiences in public schools by indicating which mental health developmental needs are met through outdoor educational experiences. Interviews with outdoor educational experts from both countries indicate which of these needs are met through outdoor activities. Interviewees express the relation between a connection with nature and sense of self and community. Students are exposed to challenges and whole-body experiences during immersive outdoor education that may introduce them to aspects of life that they might otherwise lack within a classroom setting. By understanding the role of the Norwegian cultural phenomenon of friluftsliv (literally free-air-life, but more commonly the Nordic celebration of the enjoyment of the outdoors in everyday life) and the differences in approaches and perceived results in such Norwegian approaches to immersive outdoor education in Canada, Canadians can mirror and modify educational efforts for a sustainable future.