16.1%
nature exposure around schools offers the highest financial return of all interventions tested
Exact: 16.1% return on investment
Nature exposure achieved the highest return on investment at 16.1% with a 6.2-year payback period
Nature exposure not only produced the largest attendance effect but also the strongest economic case: a 16.1% return on investment with a 6.2-year payback period. This translated to an estimated $37,525 in annual savings and 3,191 recovered instructional days per year. It was the only intervention among those tested to meet the 10-year policy benchmark used to evaluate public infrastructure investments.
Nature exposure achieved the highest return on investment (16.1%, 6.2-year payback), with estimated annual savings of $37,525 and 3,191 recovered instructional days annually—the only intervention meeting the 10-year policy benchmark.
Related findings
1.52×
Less greenspace linked to higher odds of cases accepted for child protective services
Census blocks with <10% greenspace had 1.52× the odds of a case being accepted for CPS services compared to blocks with >30% greenspace
Yuan He et al., 2024, Child Abuse & Neglect
1.52×
Less greenspace linked to higher odds of substantiated child maltreatment reports
Census blocks with <10% greenspace had 1.52× the odds of a substantiated CPS report compared to blocks with >30% greenspace
Yuan He et al., 2024, Child Abuse & Neglect
meaningful pre-to-post increase in intention to join the organised hiking tour
Virtual nature exposure significantly increased intention to participate in an organised hiking tour
Elena Brambilla et al., 2025, JMIR Serious Games
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