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Brushwood Center
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our Board
    • Our Partners
    • Our Staff
    • In the News
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Events
    • Collaborative Conversations: Anti-Racism & the Environment
  • Art
    • Gallery >
      • Current Exhibitions >
        • Tides: A Prelude
        • Enriching Life 2021
        • Lake County Leads
        • At Ease Midewin Photography
      • Past Exhibitions
    • Brushwood Art Supply Exchange
    • Classes >
      • Botanical Art Academy
  • Music
    • Nature in Concert: Tides
  • Wellness
    • Health and Nature Movement
    • At Ease for Veterans >
      • Current At Ease Programs
      • Past At Ease Programs
    • It's A WIN for Community Partners
    • Cloth Mask Drive
    • Senior Wellness
  • Rentals
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    • Donate
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    • Our Sponsors

It's A WIN
For Community Partners

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

The It's A W.I.N. (Art & Wellness in Nature) program runs on a partnership-based model, and supports children through their ecosystem of care.  We collaborate 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. 
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Our Approach

Our program strategy is rooted in the asset-based community engagement model, which is a bottom-up way of working with communities that focuses on community strengths and assets, rather than on deficits, problems. Specifically, Brushwood Center prioritizes: 
  • Building authentic, long-term relationships with community-based organizations and partners; 
  • Collaborating with community assets to develop mutually beneficial programs and contributing resources where needed to advance the health of people and the planet; and
  • Combatting settler colonial legacies and false narratives, such as white saviorism, through cultural and artistic platforms.

Program Goals

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We partner with youth, families, and community partners across Lake County to:
  1. Increase equitable access to the many health benefits of nature
  2. Strengthen environmental awareness and action
  3. Cultivate rich cultural connections to the natural world 

Why Nature?

Research shows that access to nature is critical for both human health and learning, leading to: 
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- Improved academic performance and test scores
- Increased attention span and problem solving skills

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- Reduced anxiety, ADHD, and depression symptoms
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- Increased physical activity and reduced rates of heart disease and diabetes

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Our Partners

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If you are interested in participating or supporting IT’S A W.I.N, please contact Dani Abboud at dabboud@brushwoodcenter.org.
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BRUSHWOOD CENTER AT RYERSON WOODS
21850 N. Riverwoods Rd.
Riverwoods, IL 60015
224.633.2424
info@brushwoodcenter.org


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  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our Board
    • Our Partners
    • Our Staff
    • In the News
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Events
    • Collaborative Conversations: Anti-Racism & the Environment
  • Art
    • Gallery >
      • Current Exhibitions >
        • Tides: A Prelude
        • Enriching Life 2021
        • Lake County Leads
        • At Ease Midewin Photography
      • Past Exhibitions
    • Brushwood Art Supply Exchange
    • Classes >
      • Botanical Art Academy
  • Music
    • Nature in Concert: Tides
  • Wellness
    • Health and Nature Movement
    • At Ease for Veterans >
      • Current At Ease Programs
      • Past At Ease Programs
    • It's A WIN for Community Partners
    • Cloth Mask Drive
    • Senior Wellness
  • Rentals
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Become a Partner
    • Volunteer & Staff Opportunities
    • Our Sponsors