CONNECTEDNESS TO NATURE, HEALTH AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Scientists have been focusing on the issue of contact and connection with nature and how it can promote environmentally positive behaviors, enhance concentration, and enable higher levels of restoration, thus contributing to global health. Therefore, the lack of connection with the natural environment is a problem that needs to be addressed. This study aimed to investigate which initiatives have been undertaken to establish such contacts and connections and what benefits have been identified for children and adolescents in this process on a global scale. We conducted an integrative review of articles from the databases Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science, considering the period from 2015 to 2022. The results revealed 383 articles, of which 58 were preselected for full-text reading. Nine were included in the final analysis for presenting educational initiatives that promoted contact and connection with nature, evaluating their benefits. The texts highlighted initiatives within school spaces and/or integrated into educational curricula for children and adolescents that promoted contact with nature. It is important to note the limited number of such initiatives found in the literature, their restriction to a few countries, and the scarcity of studies focusing on adolescents. It is suggested that public policies promote these initiatives as well as the training of education professionals to conduct projects that foster a connection with nature.