A growing number of U.S. colleges are adopting an unconventional approach to student mental health by prescribing time in nature as part of treatment plans. Inspired by global trends, these institutions are integrating "social prescriptions"—guided outdoor activities and nature-based therapy—into campus wellness programs. One former student reflects on how gardens provided solace during a challenging period, highlighting the potential of such interventions. The initiative signals a shift toward holistic mental health support beyond traditional counseling methods.
This story is being published in partnership with MindSite News, a national news organization that reports on mental health and sends out a daily newsletter available here. In 1984, while studying at Cornell University as a graduate student and going through a “difficult” time, Don Rakow remembers escaping to the campus gardens. “They were my […] The post ‘This is the first time I’ve touched grass’: Inside the U.S. colleges pioneering social prescriptions appeared first on The Hechinger Report.
