How Awe Walks Helped My Students Slow Down
By Aran Levasseur
Greater Good Magazine
September 8, 2023
Students at San Domenico School in California are finding wonder, peace, and inspiration in nature.
Our world has become more urban, overscheduled, fast-paced, and alienating. There are alarming rates of anxiety and depression surging across the country. The Surgeon General of the United States has stated that declining mental health among our youth is the crisis of our time.
As a high school teacher at San Domenico School, a K–12 day and boarding school just north of San Francisco, I am committed to helping our students navigate this emotionally perilous landscape. From a lifetime of contemplative walks in nature, I know the experience can provide a transcendent perspective, mainly by feeling connected to something larger than the self.