HCPSS Students Mark Global Unplugging Day

March 5th, 2024

Six HCPSS students who are members of Howard County Conservancy’s Youth Climate Institute Program joined Maryland first lady Dawn Moore, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health Dr. Laura Herrera Scott, and mental health and environmental experts at Patapsco Valley State Park on March 1 to mark the Global Day of Unplugging. The annual event encourages people around the world to take a 24-hour break from digital activity to improve their health and human connections.

While at the park, students had the opportunity to hike, practice yoga, and engage in forest bathing, the Japanese practice of focusing on nature to reduce stress and facilitate relaxation. Students also spoke with the first lady about assorted environmental issues and their plans for the future.

“Forest bathing with the First Lady of Maryland was a monumental experience filled with mindfulness and magic. Especially in our busy and dynamic lives, it’s often difficult for students to unplug, escape from our artificial building lights, and go out into nature and genuinely appreciate the environment around us,” says Atholton High School junior James Obasiolu, who participated in the March 1 event.

Marriotts Ridge High School Senior Isa Musters describes her experience as one that “allowed her to expand her vision to encompass more than what was right in front of her eyes” and “enabled her to feel grounded to the Earth in a way that cannot be felt through a phone screen.”

“The experience was valuable on so many levels,” adds HCPSS’ Environmental Educator and Youth Climate Institute Founder Ann Strozyk. “It gave students the opportunity to interact with influential people. And it gave them reason to put down their phones and focus on the beauty of their surroundings.”