It's A W.I.N. (Art & Wellness in Nature)

The It's A W.I.N. (Art & Wellness in Nature) program is a community-driven approach to supporting youth, families, and community partners in North Chicago, Waukegan, Round Lake, and Highwood to:

1. Increase equitable access to the many health benefits of nature;
2. Strengthen environmental awareness and action through youth empowerment; and
3. Cultivate rich cultural connections to the natural world. 

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It's A W.I.N. supports children and families through their ecosystem of care.  We create long-term partnerships with vital community organizations who support youth education and health, and shape our program around community-defined goals, knowledge, and feedback.  In order to deliver culturally-competent programs at multiple touch-points in a child's life, we intentionally partner with a wide variety of organizations, including healthcare providers, libraries, childcare providers, nature organizations, immigrant support organizations, and school systems. 

We use art and nature in our programs because of the many documented health benefits of outdoor time and creative expression, especially for young minds.  We customize our youth programs to suit the needs and desires of our partner organizations and communities, so there are many options for partnership!  All of our programs can also be bilingual in English and Spanish. Examples of past programs include:

• Field trips to Brushwood Center, exploring the trails at Ryerson Woods and the art on display in our gallery
• Programs at your site with nature-inspired craft activities
• Family-friendly bird walks in local natural areas
• Virtual field trips or activities

Why Nature?

Research shows that access to nature is critical for both human health and learning, leading to: 

- Improved academic performance and test scores
- Increased attention span and problem solving skills
- Reduced anxiety and depression symptoms
- Reduced feelings of aggression, and increase socio-emotional skills
​- Increased physical activity and reduced rates of heart disease and diabetes

Why Art?

The arts are building blocks of cognitive, social, and emotional development of children, leading to:

- Improved conflict resolution skills and ability to handle criticism
 - Improved understanding of mathematic concepts, development of fine motor skills, and decision making 
- Improved academic performance for students with learning disabilities
​- Reduced anxiety and depression symptoms
- Increased confidence and emotional intelligence

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Our Partners

If you are interested in participating or supporting IT’S A W.I.N, please contact Dani Abboud at [email protected].

COVID-19 Response

While COVID-19 put a hold on any in-person programming in 2020, we worked closely with our community partner organizations to learn about the most urgent needs communities are facing, and how we can plug in to help.

Read our latest blog post to learn more about the ways in which we have adapted our programming to respond to the evolving needs of our community partners and families in Lake County during this crisis. 

View our youth art zine, Caring for Our Future, an exhibition of student artwork, poetry, and advice from middle school students in our COVID-19 virtual programming with Family Services of Lake County's Y.E.S.S. program. 

View the Zine

Artwork by a student from Family Services of Lake County's Y.E.S.S. Program, created during a virtual program with Brushwood Center staff.