< Previous217364518CHILDARTBy listening to the languages of the birds in the tree, you can stimulate spatial awareness, hearing and sight. GO ON A MICRO-HIKE. Inch along on your belly, covering just a few feet, and view “such natural wonders as grass blades bent by rainbow dewdrops, colorful beetles sprinkled with flower pollen and powerful-jawed eight-eyed spiders,” suggests Joseph Cornell in his book, Sharing Nature with Children.ROTATE THE SENSES.Don’t fixate; vary your sensory awareness. “If you pay rapt attention to one thing, it will dull your senses (‘highway hypnosis’),” according to Princeton University’s Outdoor Action initiative. “Flash back and forth through your various senses.” BE A BAREFOOT EXPLORER.In 2010, Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported “a growing belief among experts” that “the best shoe may be no shoe at all.” Some podiatrists contend that walking barefoot develops foot muscles, ligaments and arch strength and (where sharp objects aren’t present) can actually be safer than wearing shoes, especially flip-flops. One reason is that going barefoot improves proprioception — awareness of where we are in relation to the space around us. Barefoot walkers are more likely to look down, to take care where they step and are less likely to fall. Walking barefoot also enhances awareness of texture and terrain.FIND YOUR INNER BLOODHOUND. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, wondered if human beings could follow a scent trail with their ears and eyes covered. The researchers found that not only are humans capable of scent tracking, but they intuitively mimic the tracking pattern of other mammals that make their living with their noses. Simply wetting one’s nose can stimulate the sense of smell. Here’s another way: walk through the woods or a field, or along a creek, and report what you smell — list and describe these smells in a nature journal.LEARN TO USE A SNAKE TONGUE, DEER EARS OR OWL EYES.Heather Stephenson, in an essay for the Children & Nature Network, suggests using your “snake tongue.” She writes, Did you know you have supersenses – or superpowers?Scientists who study human percep-tion no longer assume we have only five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. They now estimate that humans have, conservatively, 10 senses, and some scientists believe we have as many as 30 senses, including proprioception (awareness of our body’s position in space), echolocation and a more acute sense of smell. Spending more time outdoors can activate or tune underused senses, including ones that many of us don’t realize we have. Here are 10 ways you can build your senses – your superpowers:PICK A “SIT SPOT.”Jon Young, one of the world’s preeminent nature educators and coauthor of Coyote’s Guide, advises children and adults to find a special place in nature, whether it’s under a tree at the end of the yard, a hidden bend of a creek or a rooftop garden. “Know it by day; know it by night; know it in the rain and in the snow, in the depth of winter and in the heat of summer,” he writes. “Know the birds that live there, know the trees they live in. Get to know these things as if they were your relatives.” CLIMB A TREE. A tree, like any good friend, can teach us how to know the world, and even how to be safer. A tree can stimulate your vestibular (balance) senses and offers a natural touch experience. WELLBEINGRichard Louv“There is a sixth sense ... that is the sense of wonder.”D.H. Lawrence8109“try tasting the air, seeing which way the wind is blowing, and sensing the temperature….Cup your hands around your ears to listen to what’s in front of you, or cup them backward to hear what’s behind you better, imitating the way deer shift their ears to hear.…Then look with ‘owl eyes,’ forming binoculars with . . . your hands to imitate owls’ fixed, forward-facing eyes, and turning all around.”TAKE THE TRAIL LESS SEEN.Blindfold your friends and follow a rope (placed in advance) through varied terrain in which they can smell, hear and feel things. Retrace your steps without the blindfold to see how much more you notice. Or, while on a walk, stop and close your eyes. Ask yourself and your friends, “What direction are the clouds moving?” and “Were there any birds in the tree we just passed?” BE A BATWOMAN OR BATMAN.Echolocation is the system bats use to navigate in the dark. In 2009, researchers at Madrid’s University of Alcalá de Henares showed how people, like bats, can identify objects without needing to see them, through the echoes of human tongue clicks. According to the lead researcher, echoes are also perceived through vibrations in the ears and bones. GO ON AN AWARENESS WALK.The practice of an “awareness walk” is similar to Jon Young’s sit spot, but with more emphasis on walking meditation. Jini Reddy, in an article for the Telegraph, writes about walking through the dunes of a national nature reserve: “Ordinarily on such an outing, I’d be chattering away with friends, loaded down with beach gear. But today I’m light-footed and as silent as a ghost. I can see my companions, as we’re all walking in single file, a discreet distance from each other. Have we dramatically fallen out? Perish the thought: we’ve all signed up for a day of mindful walking.”These are just a few of the ways you can stop, look, listen and know the natural world and yourself. You can use your rediscovered superpowers to feel more alive, and to give more art, thoughtfulness, and peace to the world.Richard Louv is the author of Vitamin N: The Essential Guide To A Nature-Rich Life, from which this essay is adapted, The Nature Principle, and Last Child In The Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. He is co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Children & Nature Network. Follow Richard Louv on Facebook and @RichLouv on Twitter.Richard Louv20CHILDARTWELLBEINGAshfaq IshaqThe WCF is a three-day experience for 2,000 creative young people and the public in Washington, D.C., organized by the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF). I founded ICAF after learning that creativity is critical for success in business, yet many adults lack it. If all children start out creative, where does it go? I found a scientific explanation in the studies of E. Paul Torrance who discovered the “4th-grade slump” in children’s creativity. I believe this slump is a roadblock to human creative development and an impediment to sustainable prosperity and peace-building.To optimize a child’s creative potential, we developed the Arts Olympiad, a global program with a four-year cycle like the Olympics. In the first year, students produce original artworks on themes as part of a school art contest. In the second year, regional or national exhibitions of local winners’ masterpieces provide communities an opportunity to celebrate Readabout itThe Creativity Revolution Ashfaq Ishaqwww.WorldChildrensFestival.orghttp://scholarship.claremont.edu/steam/their children’s creativity. In the third year, the WCF provides a setting of global community to celebrate creativity, diversity and unity. In the fourth and final year, the International Arts Olympiad Exhibition travels to host cities to grow public awareness of the importance of children’s creative education.While the Arts Olympiad fosters creativity, the WCF develops empathy. Intercultural empathy does not come easily and yet it is more essential today than ever before. Here’s how we do it: DAY ONE: DISRUPT BIASESAll children are faced with cultural biases, whether living in a war zone or a peaceful country. On this first “Health & Environment Day,” delegates from around the world get to meet, paint and draw together, testing art as a universal language, often surprised at the concerns they share together. By the day’s end, they realize they have much in common, despite their apparent differences. DAY TWO: DEVELOP TRUSTOn “Creativity & Imagination Day,” prof-essionals of all kinds from architects and animators to Olympians and yoga masters host workshops and activities. Children come to understand their own creativity and learn how to grow their imagination and enhance their potential. By the end of the day, they feel more confident in them- selves, realizing that their personal creativity can be applied to any field or domain, be it in business, government or science. DAY THREE: BE THE CHANGE-MAKERSOn “Peace & Leadership Day,” all work-shops and activities focus on interpersonal relations, peaceful resolution of conflicts and leadership training. The delegates become prepared as global citizens, collectively participating in activities such as mural-making to co-create masterpieces. From the host of activities and workshops, delegates learn that creativity and empathy are key attributes of successful learners and leaders. After attending the WCF, children feel more equipped to bring about positive social change in their respective communities. Following three days of educational festivities on the National Mall, the delegates are honored at an Awards Banquet, where youth leadership shines. Ashfaq Ishaq is ICAF chairman and WCF producer. He is planning the 6th WCF to take place on the National Mall in June 2019.How do you develop empathy among 9 to 12 year olds from more than 70 countries in just three days? Bring them to the World Children’s Festival (WCF) on the National Mall. Try thisClose your eyes and imagine a peaceful world. What would it look and feel like? Create a picture of your world using markers, collage or paint.Part of the cerebral cortex, the right supramarginal gyrus, helps us act with empathy.The activation of mirror neurons fire both when we perform an empathetic action and when we see that action being performed by others.The inferior frontal gyrus in the brain is responsible for emotional empathy – “I feel what you feel.”Science of the artsThe ventromedial prefrontal gyrus in the brain is responsible for cognitive empathy – “I understand what you feel.”Empathy can be cultivated and developed through all art activities and experiences.54321World Children’s FestivalWorld Children’s FestivalErin CooperReadabout itThe Day the Crayons Quit Drew DaywaltIt’s Our World, Too!: Young People Who Are Making a Difference: How They Do It - How You Can, Too! Phillip M Hoose On November 8th, 2016, my sister, mother and I donned white pantsuits in a nod to the suffragettes who fought nearly a century ago for a woman’s right to vote. We put on the earrings, bracelets and brooches of my grandmothers and great-grandmothers, wearing with us generations of women who never got the chance to vote for a female President of the United States as we went to the voting booth together.Hours later, the results of the 2016 election shocked the nation, even those who supported Donald Trump. To me, a high school junior, it felt impossible to understand a nation that once said “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free,” now seemingly shutting its doors. In the months following the election, I was overwhelmed by the steady stream of grim headlines. When I heard about the Women’s March on Washington, I latched onto the idea. Protesting in defense of human rights and dignity felt like a meaningful and tangible action—a way to tell the incoming administration that we would not be displaced from our values. I petitioned my school to organize a trip for students to attend the march and received approval along with a 60-seat school bus for the five-hour trip from New York to D.C. I plastered the school with posters and promoted the trip to students and teachers. The sign-up sheets filled up, and on January 21, we arrived at school at 4:00am, boarded the yellow school bus and took off. As we emerged from the metro in Washington, D.C., the streets pulsed with life and passionate energy, worlds away from the negativity of the past months. Marchers championed LGBTQ rights, women, refugees, immigrants, racial “I believe we all have a role to play, that our passion, voices and efforts to be heard—whether attending town halls, protesting or engaging in other ways—are all incredibly important to the future of our country.”Erin CooperVlad Tchompalov / unsplash.comof 5 million people joined 673 marches in 81 countries worldwide across every continent. It was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history.I believe we all have a role to play, that our passion, voices and efforts to be heard—whether attending town halls, protesting or engaging in other ways —are all incredibly important to the future of our country. Resistance comes from a place of creativity and refusal to give in to the powers that be. The road ahead is long, but we are in it together.Erin Cooper is a Junior at Riverdale Country School. Devout feminist, she takes her nose out of Gloria Steinem chronicles for long enough to attend a soccer practice (or six) each week. Erin is an aspiring artist and engineer.Make your own signs!What would you say? What do you want to communicate? Where would you use them? What pictures best illustrate your message?justice, the environment and access to healthcare. Chants of “We want a leader not a creepy tweeter” and “The people united will never be defeated…el pueblo unido jamás será vencido” reverberated against the surrounding buildings. I had never felt more at home in a crowd of strangers. The witty hand-drawn signs and the original music written for the march (check out MILCK’s performance of her song “Quiet” at the march) were emblematic of the passion so many people feel for preserving human rights and the wellbeing of the planet. After a full day, we found our way to our school bus and drove home to New York, talking about our favorite moments of the day and thinking ahead to what we could do next. We learned that 500,000 people marched in Washington, D.C., and a total More than emotion - speaking out activates sections of the brain related to logic and reasoning.Like minds, when people work together their brains have neural synchrony.Speaking out or expressing fears lessens negative arousal in the brain.Science of the arts12345Use rhymes with prosodic patterns and people will remember your message.Advocacy and activism can make you feel happier by taking action.Erin Cooper24CHILDARTWELLBEINGFred MarksHave you looked at a round building such as yurt or tepee and wondered what it would be like inside? How do you hang cabinets on a curved wall made of mud and grass or buffalo hide? Where would the furniture go to accommodate various purposes? Would you be comfortable in a shape that had no square corners? Different designs stimulate emotional centers in the brain and change how we perceive or react to being in the space. Our past memories of seeing and experiencing many types of buildings also influence how we feel about something new. In understanding how the brain operates, architects may soon change the way they approach their design to our benefit.FORM AND FUNCTIONArchitecture is the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings. It is unique among art forms because it has both aesthetic and practical purposes, also known as “form” and “function.” That means a building can be a beautiful and moving sight to see as well as a necessary place to stay warm or cool.There are many factors, both artistic and scientific, that influence how a building is designed and constructed. In recent years, there has also been a growing interest in designing buildings that will contribute to the health and wellness of the people who live and work in them or visit them. After all, modern people spend most of their time indoors. Such designs may enable hospital patients to recover faster, students to learn better or office workers to be less tired and more focused. While painters, sculptors, musicians and dancers have a lot of control over how their art looks when finished, architects must work with a number of collaborators, including multiple engineers, designers, public officials, citizens and even banks who all have a say in the final design. While a sculptor might need to understand a little chemistry to get the right mix of materials for a mold, architects must follow strict laws of physics, chemistry and mathematics just to make sure we are safe and protected. Combined, those principles ensure that a building can stand up and stay dry from the weather, among many other things. Architects also rely heavily on function in determining their design. How a building comes to be one size and shape often depends on what activities will take place inside and how many people will use it. A sports stadium, for example, needs a large common space with a playing field, seats for spectators and many pathways for walking in and out. A family home, on the other hand, is likely to be much smaller and tailored to a family’s needs to eat, relax and sleep in one building. Before an architect can start working on a design, he or she must identify and describe a problem to be solved. Without this definition, a focus on the form (the way the building looks), might be the enemy of the function (how it works).AESTHETICS AND CULTURE In the best cases, the function and form of a building work hand in hand. With a clearly defined function in mind, an architect can work with his/her partners to achieve an appealing form through techniques that tap into our natural preferences and instincts as humans. For example, our brains and eyes prefer to see rhythmic repetitions, simple forms and orderly patterns found in nature, such as leaves. Without patterns, we may become uneasy and disoriented. Repeating patterns in tile and stone work, consistent ceiling heights and symmetry in windows and doors are all examples of how architecture adheres to this principle. Still, Readabout itThe Future Architect’s Handbook Barbara Beck Iggy Peck, Architect Andrea Beaty and David Roberts25there is room for the element of surprise and wonder in design. Imagine an all-white building with a single red door. That door could both entice your interest and help you know where to enter a building. All cultures have sought to express themselves through their buildings, and buildings have in turn helped shape social attitudes. Throughout history, architecture has changed in style based on the avail-ability of materials and technology and the customs and tastes of the time. Western civilization lists Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical and Modern as distinct examples of artistic expression. Middle Eastern and Asian countries developed other approaches to dressing their buildings based on their beliefs about religion and the human role in nature. More recently in the United States, we have found that we don’t need to tear down old buildings from earlier centuries just because their original purpose is no longer needed. We can practice sustainable development by finding new uses. By expanding the meaning of what is possible and acceptable a canning factory may become residential apartments, a train depot may serve as a museum or a school building may be converted to business offices. In accepting the design change, our brain will be in harmony with what the architect most likely intended.Look up! High ceilings activate structures in the brain related to our visual-spatial perception.Don’t box me in. Studies show more positive responses when people are in places with curvy versus linear space.Our perception of a place, whether we like it there or not, is related to what we see, smell, touch, hear and feel when we are there.What we learn from neuroscience (exploring the brain) and neuroaesthetics (how art affects the brain) helps us create places where people will love to work, live and play.Hush! Light and noise levels affect an infant’s critical sensory development.Try thisScience of the artsFrederick Marks, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Six Sigma Green Belt; Visiting Scholar, Salk Institute for Biological Studies; President-elect, Academy of Neuroscience for ArchitectureThe mission of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture is to promote and advance knowledge that links neuroscience research to a growing understanding of human responses to the built environment.The Academy benefits from the expanding body of research that has evolved within the neuroscience community in the last two decades, and the promise of even more in the coming century. Some observers have characterized what is happening in neuroscience as the most exciting frontier of human knowledge since the Renaissance. All humanity stands to benefit from this research in countless ways still to be determined. The profession of architecture has become a partner in developing the application of this knowledge base in order to increase its ability to be of service to society.What are two things you can adjust in your room to help you relax and sleep better?Make a list of five of your favorite places. List how each of these spaces make you feel.THE ARTS + MINDJULY – SEPT 2017Brandon Day / unsplash.com26CHILDARTWELLBEINGWIDE ANGLE YOUTH MEDIAThe high schoolers in the Mentoring Video Project (MVP) program at Wide Angle Youth Media in Baltimore aren’t afraid to take on difficult topics. In fact, that’s their job. This year, the student filmmakers discussed a long list of issues facing teens and their community as they considered the direction for their documentary film projects. In the end, violence and teen depression rose to the top as the most pressing issues to tackle. With a goal to educate and change the hearts and minds of their families, friends, city leaders and school counselors, they split into two teams to begin their interviews. From the start, MVP filmmakers knew that teens would relate most to the perspective of other teens and that serious topics would require expert voices to lend credibility to their stories. In some cases, the filmmakers inter-viewed fellow MVP students about their personal experiences with violence and depression, often touching on private and Wide Angle Youth Media27THE ARTS + MINDJULY – SEPT 2017painful experiences. In post-production, those tearful and honest stories replayed again and again as student editors worked to piece together the video’s narrative. The degree of openness and understanding among MVP students is surprising given that they just met at the beginning of this school year.They credit the comfort and respect they feel to their first assignment: telling their personal stories. Students were asked to create videos that responded to three prompts: the hardest lesson they learned as a child, the most difficult obstacle from the past year and their proudest accomplishment. They screened their stories for their families and friends. They surprised even themselves with how much they were willing to share. “I’m usually reserved, but I wasn’t afraid to be myself, “said 11th grader Michelle White. “It’s important to be honest.”It wasn’t just sharing and hearing their personal stories that made them feel safe in the program. “Without Ms. Kellie, I wouldn’t have gone that deep,” says Michelle. Her peers in the program are quick to agree that the staff at MVP is caring and encouraging. “The best part is that the people here will listen to you if you’ve had a bad day,” said 10th grader Marc Cruise. The safety of relationships at MVP opens up the doors to learning a number of unique skills, like using cameras, lights, sound equipment and digital editing tools. MVP students learn research and interview skills. They also write, a lot, and transcribe and edit their interview scripts into cohesive and compelling stories. They’ve learned a lot about teen depression and violence and say there are many misconceptions about both. Depression is serious. It’s not just having a bad day or being tired. It’s not something that just passes. And violence in inner cities is not always about drugs. In fact, it’s often about anger, about not knowing how to cope with a difficult or hurtful situation. Their newfound expertise might come with one downside. “My mom hates watching movies with me now,” says 9th grader Ayanna White. “I am always pointing out the issues with continuity.” Still, it’s safe to say the program has had unexpected benefits. By turning the lens on others, MVP filmmakers have gained important insights into themselves. Everyone has a story to tell.Use a camera, a smartphone or tablet to create a digital storyboard or video of your point of view.What do you want to say?What is the best way to communicate?Share with friends and family and ask for their impressions.Try thisThe safety of relationships at MVP opens up the doors to learning a number of unique skills, like using cameras, lights, sound equipment and digital editing tools. MVP students learn research and interview skills. They also write, a lot, and transcribe and edit their interview scripts into cohesive and compelling stories. Readabout itTinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Srini Pillay Flicker – Your Brain On Movies Jeffery ZacksScience of the artsSelf-expression for teens positively affects the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala parts of the brain.Neurocinematics, a term coined by Uri Hasson, investigates how the brain responds to movies using an fMRI brain scanner.Mentally challenging activities, such as digital photography, improve memory and enhance neural efficiency.Movies trick our brains to reacting as if events were real by activating “mirror neurons.”Next >