Benefits of Engaging Children/Youth in Recreational/Outdoor Activities

Go To Season: 2020-2021 Poster

Presentation Title: Benefits of Engaging Children/Youth in Recreational/Outdoor Activities

Speaker:
Dr. Tek B. Dangi
Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies
Department of Exercise, Health and Sport Sciences
University of Southern Maine, USA

Date/Time: January 21 , 2022 (7:30 PM MST)

Short Description:
Many children/youths and their parents tend to be unaware of the multiple benefits of leisure/recreation and outdoor recreation participation. Research has shown that participation in play, leisure/recreational, and outdoor activities stimulate creativity and inspiration while positively contributing to participants’ physical, cognitive, social, and psychological health. The health benefits of recreation participation are shown to be on par or better when compared to medicinal benefits. Previous generations in the West were more immersed in nature and benefited immensely through outdoor and recreational activities participation. Comparatively, modern generations engage instead in indoor activities such as computers and video games thereby inviting numerous health-related risks due to a sedentary lifestyle. Amidst the growing challenges of obesity and health-related issues in the Western world, governmental organizations have launched initiatives to promote the value of play for children and healthy, active lifestyles for all their citizens.

This presentation will inform individuals and parents how to motivate family members and children to lead a healthy lifestyle by connecting with nature and recreational activities.

Speaker’s Bio:
Dr. Tek B. Dangi is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies in the Department of Exercise, Health and Sport Sciences, University of Southern Maine, USA. Tek completed Ph.D. in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University after completing a second MS in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Wyoming. Tek accumulated professional experience in tourism planning, management, and marketing while serving as a section officer at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Nepal, and later as the CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board. Dr. Dangi gained experience teaching undergraduate classes in tourism, recreation, and leisure at Texas A&M University, Eastern Washington University, and both undergraduate and graduate classes in a couple of tourism academies in Nepal. His research emphasizes developing frameworks and links that would contribute to sustainable tourism, ecotourism, community-based tourism (with emphasis on justice, ethics, and equity), host-guest interactions in tourism/recreation settings, youth sports, and positive youth development, and tourism policy/planning specifically from USA and Nepal.

Click To Register

Go To Season: 2020-2021 Poster