Inspiring Future Generations

While people tend to respond instinctively to beauty, we don’t always consciously make the connection between valuing scenic beauty in our communities and the crucial advantages that come with it, such as quality of life, improved physical and mental health, and improved economic opportunity. That’s why it’s so important to teach young people to value scenic resources.

By helping to engage youths with beauty in natural and built environments, we can help inspire them to develop a lifelong affection for these qualities — and inculcate them with a desire to fight to preserve them.

Scenic America is committed to advancing scenic education through innovative tools, resources, and partnerships that make learning engaging and experiential. As we explore in our paper, Enhancing Youth Scenic Education through Augmented Reality, technology can help strengthen young people’s connections with the world around them. For example, our work with Agents of Discovery, an augmented‑reality platform that turns outdoor exploration into interactive learning, demonstrates that potential in action. And we have collaborated with Dimensions Educational Research Foundation in support of its Nature Explore program and Outdoor Classrooms.

Read on to learn more about Scenic America’s initiatives and partnerships aimed at inspiring the next generation of scenic conservationists who will advocate for beautiful landscapes and communities.