Project Mentor
Dr. Phil Birge-Liberman
Department: Urban and Community Studies
Research Project Overview:
Research shows that being immersed in nature is good for a person’s overall health and well-being. Being outdoors boosts a person’s concentration, increases their attention span, and improves their cognitive ability. After spending time in nature, a person’s mood and stress level improve, and they experience an increase in happiness. Recently, the evidence-based benefits of nature have received attention from medical and mental health communities in the U.S. A growing number of doctors have suggested that their patients spend time in nature as a sort of “nature prescription” to improve physical health and well-being.
Nature Rx began at Cornell University in 2019, but it’s not really that new. In the 1870s, the Fresh Air Fund was created to allow underserved children from New York City’s Lower East Side an opportunity to spend the summer in the country experiencing nature. These children, often of immigrant parents, did not have the same opportunities as wealthier children, whose families could escape the heat of the industrial city in the summer by retreating to the Catskills or Adirondacks. The goal of the Fresh Air Fund was to provide the city’s neediest children a chance to experience all that nature had to offer by breathing air unpolluted by the industrial city.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
The research apprentice will assist in analyzing Nature Rx as a modern version of the Fresh Air Fund. This project is in the early stages and the student will assist in the collection of primary and secondary sources related to these two nature movements.
The research apprentice will assist in research efforts mostly by gathering literature and conducting a review of literature. The research activities will include:
- Conduct library research to identify the relevant literature
- Read and summarize related literature
- Prepare and edit bibliography
- Attend training sessions and weekly meetings
- Additional tasks as needed
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
While it is anticipated that the research apprentice will work approximately 10 hours each week, there is flexibility depending on the student’s schedule. Other than the weekly meetings, the student can generally work on their own time.
There is the possibility of the student continuing the work to assist in drafting/revising a conference paper in the fall (dependent upon the student’s interest).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Some experience in conducting library research (finding relevant sources).
- Familiarity and comfort with Google Suite (Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, etc.).
- Interest in social science research.
- Preferred: previous coursework in History, Urban Studies, Environmental Studies, American Studies, or related field.
- Well-developed reading comprehension skills.
- Ability to work independently and follow through on commitments.
- Reliable and attentive to details.
To Apply:
The application is closed.