News

Kids Bill Passes House

Kids, take notice! In September, the US House of Representatives passed HR 3036, the No Child Left Inside Act, with a large bipartisan majority. The bill seeks to authorize $100 million per year for five years to fund hands-on outdoor education for children, kindergarten through 12th grade. It will likely go to the Senate in January.

At the Chicago Wilderness Congress in November, Chicago Park District manager of outdoor and environmental education Peggy Stewart presented the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, listing the “top ten things children should do” to be happy and healthy. Not actual legislation, the list includes “Camp Under the Stars,” “Catch and Release Fish, Frogs, and Insects,” and “Discover Chicago Wilderness.”