Head Start Growth and Readiness in the Outdoor World (HS-GROW)

The quality of Headstart and Early Headstart center outdoor environments is particularly relevant because this is where children can learn to be physically active, can be motivated to play in nature, and feel comfortable outdoors – lifestyle habits that may persist in later life. The overall goal of HS-GROW is to recapture and reframe the outdoor environment of Head Start and Early Head Start Centers as a major contributor to the health and learning of young children. This will be accomplished by training Head Start teachers and staff to redesign and upgrade their outdoor spaces and curricula to reap the potential for healthy growth. Regional demonstration training sites will be established to show Head Start programs how to optimize outdoor environments. Because of the growing number of Spanish speaking families served by Head Start, training and assessment materials will be bi-lingual.