Find YOUR path
Fresh Air Self Care FOR ALL
Our Overall Goals
Our Vision: Better health and quality of life for youths and adults with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities (I/DD). This includes people with related conditions, like Autism Spectrum Disorders.
​
Our Specific Goals: We want everyone to hike weekly for fun at least one hour. We hope that many aim for health and well-being by adding 30-60 minutes of walking daily either via natural trails, active transportation, and so on..
​
Our Methods: We guide caregivers & professionals to help people with I/DD find paths and trails that match their interests and abilities, using storymap-based modules that allow you to complete the training at your own pace (with helpful links to other information) or can be used for on-site or virtual workshops tailored to your organziation's interests.
​
Our Training Options
Our short courses tailor the information, training and support that you need to meet your goals​. Try our crash course to start walking right away. Or scroll down below for individual modules you can take online, or invite us to deliver these trainings on site free of charge. And email us with any questions!
Click below to watch an introductory video
Click here for a crash course to start walking right away
Click here to get on our email list for upcoming trainings, or to request a workshop tailored to your organization's needs
NOW LIVE Stories, Outcomes, & Practices Course
-
Learn about the need and the potential of walking in nature
-
Once you have completed the modules, we invite you to complete a Background survey to begin to build your Hiker Profile. This gathers the information you need to begin to plan your first walk, and helps us to offer you individualized planning and feedback if needed.
-
Review these modules by clicking on the links below. We would expect that these would take a total of 45-60 minutes to complete (not including the completion of Your Hiker's Profile)
​
.jpeg)
Stories of Outdoor Adventure: Walking and other outdoor adventures have helped Margot (and us) to become so much happier and healthier. Read more.
Outcomes of Walking Programs: Walking and related programs can help increase health and happiness while controlling the skyrocketing costs of programming. Read more.
Practices Supporting Walking Programs: A wide range of research-based practices can help us to develop effective walking programs? Read more.
NOW LIVE Walking Every Week Course
-
If you are confident that your child, student, or client with I/DD can already walk comfortably for 20 minutes, then you may only need the general guidance offered by our 60-90 minute Walking Every Week Course to take your first walks, find more paths right for you, and build a basic routine.
-
In the process, we invite you to begin to build Your Hiker's Plan. This gathers the information you need to help your hiker take longer walks all year round.
-
Click here to fill out a form to be notified by email when these presentations become available, to sign up for a virtual presentation, or to invite us to present one of a limited number of in-person presentations at your school or facility free of charge.
-
Review these modules by clicking on the links below. We would expect that these would take a total of 60-90 minutes to complete (not including Your Hiker's Plan)
​
Take Your First Walks: After setting some initial goals and verifying that your hiker is ready, take your first walks to begin to create a happy and confident hiker! Read more.
Find Your Next Path: Learn about the effort required by different paths and then use online sources to find the paths that are just right for your hiker. Read more!
Create Weekly Fun and Adventure: Find your hiker's comfort zone and build a regular walking routine so that you can have fun together all year long. Read more.
COMING SOON Walking Everywhere Course
Want to walk more often for health and well-being, or with someone facing greater cognitive, behavioral, or physical challenges? Sign up to complete our Walking Everywhere Course
If your goal is to ​build a more intense walking routine to improve fitness and quality of life, especially for a child, student, or client with I/DD who cannot walk comfortably for at least 20 minutes either due to mobility or behavioral barriers, sign up for our Walking Everywhere Course. This supplements the information in our Walking Every Week Course; we will help to you assess your hiker's current behavior, barriers, and opportunities. Our goal is to Build Resilient Routines (e.g., a more intense and individualized plan and schedule adjusted to your hiker's specific abilities and interests) to use Paths and Trails for Fitness and Adventure by creating a "daily movement diet" that includes a longer weekly walk, shorter walks 2-3 times per week, and opportunities each day to move outdoors.
-
We would expect that these would take a total of 60-90 minutes to complete (not including Your Hiker's Plan)
​
Click here to fill out a form to receive e-mails regarding upcoming virtual presentations, or to invite us to present one of a limited number of in-person workshops at your school or facility free of charge.
Help everyone to walk more: What else do you need to learn to help even more challenged hikers try even longer hikes to even more interesting places? Coming soon!
Discover natural trails: Begin to explore easy and harder natural trails by understanding the sources of Trail Stress and become even more connected to nature! Coming soon!
Get healthy outdoors every day through active transportation, volunteering for community organizations, and helping the environment . Coming soon.
Looking for more individualized planning and support? Add a coach
We understand just how difficult it can sometimes be to introduce new activities and routines, especially for those with more complex needs and more challenging behaviors. This is especially true for professionals responsible for planning outings for groups with diverse interests and abilities. That is why we are delighted to provide coaching through a partnership with NCHPAD and the YMCA of the Greater Brandywine Valley. Talk with us once you have completed the Walking Everywhere Module about the individualized coaching that you may need as a parent or professional for those with more complex support needs.
​
Our Curated Maps
-
Click here or on the map to the right to see a list of paths we are beginning to categorize using ratings of the extra effort required, based on sections with easy or harder running grades.
Our partners
This innovative program of training developed by Kennett Outdoors would not be possible without the key partners listed below.
YMCA: The Adaptive Programs Department of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine Valley provides behavioral / recreation specialists to act as grant-funded coaches, as well acting as the fiduciary agency for NCHPAD grant.
NCHPAD: The National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability Disability at the University of Alabama provides funding for coaches through its Accelerating Disability Inclusion program.