Ted Audio Collective

I'm a trustee at the K-12 school I went to growing up, which means that I'm involved

in a lot of the decisions that are made about the school today.

Recently, we were discussing some renovations to our building, and the head of the school

said something that stuck with me.

She said, I don't want a library where kids can't open the windows.

I don't want this to be in all air-conditioned building.

Kids need fresh air.

And it's true, kids do need fresh air.

We all do.

Getting fresh air throughout the day, especially when you're in nature or in urban green spaces,

can benefit our mental health and can even help us reduce anxiety and stress.

It turns out the idea of giving students access to sunlight and fresh air was a priority

for my school way back in 1929 when it moved to its current location in New York City.

The school's original location was on Park Avenue, which was becoming more and more

congested with the construction of the Queensborough Bridge and new high-rise buildings nearby.

The air was thick with car exhaust, and the tall new buildings were blocking the sunlight.

Light and fresh air were so important to my school that they picked up and moved to

be able to have access to it.

But how many of us actually work in office spaces that prioritize nature in a way that

can help employees and maybe our environment too?

I'm Madu Baccanola, this is Ted Business.

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