Healthier, Happier, Smarter: Wisconsin Voices on the Power of Nature

Jaeden Carrasquillo + Xia Lowery

Welcome to Healthier, Happier, Smarter, a podcast about connecting with Wisconsin’s outdoors through learning, stories, and community. Co-hosts Jaeden and Xia share the voices, places, and ideas shaping environmental education across the state. From schoolyards and forests to youth-led climate action and community programs, this show explores what happens when learning moves beyond the classroom and into the natural world, and the impact that shift has on students and communities alike. Outdoor and environmental education is about more than nature. It is about health, equity, and opportunity. When students learn outside, they build confidence, strengthen their well-being, and develop a deeper connection to the world around them. On Healthier, Happier, Smarter, we amplify voices from across Wisconsin, including students, educators, and leaders who are using the outdoors as a powerful classroom. Tune in to discover how environmental learning is helping build a healthier, happier, and smarter future for everyone.

  1. 5d ago

    13. Climate Change on Your Health: A Conversation with Pediatrician Dr. Andrew Lewandowski

    Climate change is a health issue, and its impacts are already affecting our families and communities. Jaeden and Xia talk with pediatrician Dr. Andrew Lewandowski about how climate change intersects with health, why healthcare professionals have an important role in educating patients, and what climate change counseling can look like in a clinical setting. They also explore how factors like exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity shape a person’s climate change vulnerability, the importance of addressing systemic inequities, and how healthcare providers can advocate for evidence-based climate solutions.  Links + Resources: Healthy Climate Wisconsin: www.healthyclimatewi.org Resources about climate change & health: World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/  Columbia University: https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/topics/climate-health  National Academy of Medicine: https://nam.edu/our-work/programs/climate-and-health/communicating-about-climate-change-health/  Department of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health: https://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/  - You can reach out and ask to talk to Dr. Andrew Lewandowski Wisconsin Department of Health Services: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/  Kate Beardmore: Program Manager for the Climate and Health Program with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services  Phone: 608-266-9978 Email: katharine.beardmore@dhs.wisconsin.gov Follow the show online:  Facebook: @WisconsinAssociationforEnvironmentalEducation Instagram: @wisconsinassociationforee LinkedIn: wisconsin-association-for-environmental-education-inc YouTube: @wisconsinassociationforee View all book recommendations from the podcast: https://bookshop.org/lists/healthier-happier-smarter Thank you to our sponsors and funding partners. Learn more and become a sponsor at https://www.waee.org/our-supporters

  2. Sep 9

    11. Place-based Learning; Connecting Community, Advocacy, and Youth at Oshkosh North High School

    What happens when students move beyond learning about environmental problems and start becoming part of the solution? Jaeden and Xia talk with Rick Leib, a social studies teacher at Oshkosh North High School, and senior Ella about the school’s Communities program and its student-led environmental projects. From stormwater pollution and plastic waste to outdoor classrooms, biking, and community service, they explore how authentic, place-based learning can help students connect their education to real-world issues, build confidence, discover new career possibilities, and see themselves as change makers in their own communities. Links + Resources: Communities at Oshkosh North: https://www.communitiesonhs.org/ Wisconsin Stormwater Week: https://www.wistormwater.com/ Recycling Excellence Awards: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Recycling/Awards.html  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/communitiesonhs/  Bike Osh Event: https://www.facebook.com/bikeosh/ Follow the show online:  Facebook: @WisconsinAssociationforEnvironmentalEducation Instagram: @wisconsinassociationforee LinkedIn: wisconsin-association-for-environmental-education-inc YouTube: @wisconsinassociationforee View all book recommendations from the podcast: https://bookshop.org/lists/healthier-happier-smarter Thank you to our sponsors and funding partners. Learn more and become a sponsor at https://www.waee.org/our-supporters

  3. Jul 1

    6. Using Nature to Promote Wellness and Equity at Lakeview Elementary

    Lakeview School in Madison is redefining what learning can look like through its Nature-Based Learning Opportunity program, and in this episode, Principal Nu Vang-Vue, Physical Education Teacher James Kersten, and Occupational Therapist Deborah Craig share the profound impact that getting kids outside has on their growth and development. From fostering cooperation, confidence, and a sense of belonging to strengthening the gross motor, fine motor, and sensory foundations needed for classroom success, outdoor learning supports the whole child. The conversation explores how nature-based experiences can create more equitable opportunities for students of all backgrounds and abilities while helping them build meaningful connections with their school, their community, and themselves. Discover why stepping outside the classroom may be one of the most powerful ways to help children become healthier, happier, and smarter. Links + Resources: Follow Lakeview Elementary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MMSDLakeView Lakeview Elementary Website: https://lakeview.madison.k12.wi.us/ Article about Lakeview Elementary in Capital Times: https://captimes.com/news/education/how-one-madison-school-became-an-outdoor-education-hotspot/article_f92db948-aa8f-4725-b7a8-fdbf03fda529.html Follow the show online:  Facebook: @WisconsinAssociationforEnvironmentalEducation Instagram: @wisconsinassociationforee LinkedIn: wisconsin-association-for-environmental-education-inc YouTube: @wisconsinassociationforee View all book recommendations from the podcast: https://bookshop.org/lists/healthier-happier-smarter Thank you to our sponsors and funding partners. Learn more and become a sponsor at https://www.waee.org/our-supporters

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to Healthier, Happier, Smarter, a podcast about connecting with Wisconsin’s outdoors through learning, stories, and community. Co-hosts Jaeden and Xia share the voices, places, and ideas shaping environmental education across the state. From schoolyards and forests to youth-led climate action and community programs, this show explores what happens when learning moves beyond the classroom and into the natural world, and the impact that shift has on students and communities alike. Outdoor and environmental education is about more than nature. It is about health, equity, and opportunity. When students learn outside, they build confidence, strengthen their well-being, and develop a deeper connection to the world around them. On Healthier, Happier, Smarter, we amplify voices from across Wisconsin, including students, educators, and leaders who are using the outdoors as a powerful classroom. Tune in to discover how environmental learning is helping build a healthier, happier, and smarter future for everyone.