Book Description Review Quotes Contents Events Case Studies & Excerpts
Book Description

What would a school look like if it was designed with mental health in mind? Too many public schools look and feel like prisons, designed out of fear of vandalism and truancy. But we know that nurturing environments are better for learning. Research consistently shows that access to nature, big classroom windows, and open campuses reduce stress, anxiety, disorderly conduct, and crime, and improve academic performance. But too few school designers and decision-makers apply this research to create healthy schools. Schools That Heal details the myriad opportunities—from furniture to classroom improvements to whole campus renovations—to make supportive learning environments for our children and teenagers.

Schools around the world have been designed to support students’ health. A Japanese community decimated by a tsunami has incorporated water elements into the school campus to reconnect students to nature in a supportive way and promote environmental stewardship. Sandy Hook Elementary, creating a completely redesigned campus in the wake of a school shooting, began with an inclusive design process to ensure the new school could be a place of healing and learning. And while the larger mental and physical impacts of how COVID-19 has changed schooling aren’t known yet, Latané discusses how building elements like large windows—that can open to circulate fresh air—were once common in schools and could once again be useful as a cost-effective tactic for reducing virus exposure.

Backed by decades of research, Schools That Heal showcases clear and compelling ways to create schools that support students’ mental health and feelings of safety. Written in an accessible tone, this book reviews the evidence connecting design to mental health and makes design and advocacy recommendations to support students’ well-being and sense of safety.

With invaluable advice for school administrators, public health experts, teachers, and parents, Schools That Heal is a call to action and a practical resource to envision and implement nurturing and inspiring school environments. Healthy, healing campuses will better prepare students to take care of themselves, their communities, their cities, and their planet.

Review Quotes

"Backed by decades of research, Schools That Heal showcases clear and compelling ways to create schools that support students’ mental health and feelings of safety. Written in an accessible tone, this book reviews the evidence connecting design to mental health and makes design and advocacy recommendations to support students’ well-being and sense of safety….The important advantage of the book is that it presents the landscape architecture of schools in a broader context of environmental, cultural, economic and management issues of schools."
 
Cities and Health

"Latané's thorough and fascinating work on designing for student mental health leads us to the natural world, a place with infinite power to soothe and uplift everyone who engages with it. Both poetic and practical, this book examines every facet of this movement, all supported by research and results from environmental psychologists, educators, families, and students. The outcome is a compelling case for nature-driven planning and design."
Laura Solano, Partner, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Landscape Architects

"What timely help is found in Schools that Heal! Educators are under tremendous pressure to compensate children for the educational, social, and emotional hardships amplified by the global pandemic. This book is a must-read guide to ways that school communities can rethink and redo the indoor and outdoor environments of our schools to support student, staff, and community healing and well-being."
Mary Filardo, Executive Director, 21st Century School Fund & Coordinator, National Council on School Facilities

Contents

Foreword by Manal J. Aboelata
Preface

Chapter 1: Nine Reasons Why We Should Design Schools with Mental Health in Mind
Chapter 2: How School Environments Shape Mental, Social, and Physical Health
Chapter 3: Site Design Strategies to Support Mental Health, Safety, and Well-being
Chapter 4: Leveraging Schools for Public Health, Equity, and Climate Resilience
Chapter 5: How to Communicate for the Best Chance at Change
Chapter 6: Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees … Or Does It?
Chapter 7: Ten Schools to Inspire and Guide You
Chapter 8: Conversations on Transformation by Design
Chapter 9: For the Love of Students

Resources
Notes
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index

Events

Schools that Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind

Monday, 28 June 2021 - 3:30pm

What would a school look like if it was designed with mental health in mind? With invaluable advice for school administrators, public health experts, teachers, and parents, Schools That Heal is a call to action and a practical resource to envision and implement nurturing and inspiring school environments. Healthy, healing campuses will better prepare students to take care of themselves, their communities, their cities, and their planet.

A book talk by author Claire Latané, especially for the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. There will be updates on outdoor learning in local schools and districts. Spanish language interpretation provided by Barcroft Elementary.

Schools That Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind

Thursday, 17 February 2022 - 11:00am

Author Claire Latané will join us to discuss her 2020 book, Schools That Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind. 

What would a school look like if it was designed with mental health in mind? Too many public schools look and feel like prisons, but we know that nurturing environments are better for learning. Research consistently shows that access to nature, big classroom windows, and open campuses reduce stress, anxiety, disorderly conduct, and crime, and improve academic performance. But too few school designers and decision-makers apply this research to create healthy schools. In her book, Schools That Heal, Claire details the myriad opportunities—from furniture to classroom improvements to whole campus renovations—to make supportive learning environments for our children and teenagers.

Q&A will follow the presentation. The session will end at 12:30pm ET. Schools That Heal is available through Island Press in book and e-book form. For more information: https://islandpress.org/books/schools-heal. Webinar registrants will receive a 30% discount code.

Moderator: Irene Nigaglioni, IN2 Architecture & CHPS Board of Directors

Speaker: Claire Latané, author

Claire Latané is a professor of landscape architecture at Cal Poly Pomona. She has practiced landscape architecture since 2006. Claire draws from her backgrounds in communication and regenerative design to design and advocate for healthy and inclusive community and school environments.

Continuing education: This session is 1.5 hours long and has been submitted for AIA credit approval. 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand the reasons why designing for mental health is important.
  2. Understand some of the research on why the school environment makes a difference.
  3. Identify strategies to use in designing for mental health.
  4. Learn about the triple benefits the strategies have for mental, physical, and public health.

This session is free for CHPS members. All others are subject to a $19.99 registration fee. 

Case Studies & Excerpts

Read Chapter 1: Nine Reasons Why We Should Design Schools with Mental Health in Mind below or download it here.