Join the Movement on June 11
By Kleo Bello
Kleo Bello is from Albania and is a 2026 Global Fellow of Youth Advocate Programs, (YAP®) in Cook County, Ill., through the Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) program. YAP® has been participating in Outdoor Office Day since 2021.
As cities continue to grow and people spend more time indoors, a global movement is encouraging workers to reconnect with nature. Outdoor Office Day, founded by Ioana Biris in the Netherlands, promotes the idea of taking work outside, even if only for one day each year.
“It is time to have the conversation about how we work and what we need to feel inspired, productive and connected,” said Biris, who is also a social psychologist and co-owner of Nature Desks. “Both the frantic pace of the modern world and the recent figures about the increasing number of hours we spend in front of our screens or sitting, should make us all rethink the relationship we have with work.”
The initiative was created from a simple but powerful idea that people should work closer to nature. According to the concept behind Outdoor Office Day, modern lifestyles keep individuals surrounded by screens, offices, and urban environments for most of their daily lives. Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this number is expected to increase in the future. Because of this, the founder of this movement believes that reconnecting with outdoor spaces is becoming increasingly important.
The movement has inspired many organizations across different sectors to embrace the concept. Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., has been among the organizations participating in Outdoor Office Day, using the occasion to bring work outdoors and promote healthier, more engaging work environments. Outdoor Office Day is a lovely collaboration between the YAP®’s Safety and Wellness Committee, which shares pertinent information internally with employees, and the YAP® Global Community that includes sister organizations in Ireland, Australia, Sierra Leone and Guatemala.
A national nonprofit, YAP® partners with public systems to provide individual and family wraparound and mental health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in residential care/treatment and corrections facilities. YAP®’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements.
Founded in 2019, Outdoor Office Day encourages companies, students, and workers to step outside traditional office structures and experience a different working atmosphere. The movement highlights how open-air environments can positively influence workplace culture, employee engagement, creativity, and overall well-being.
Research connected to nature and wellness also supports many of these ideas. Spending time outdoors has been associated with reduced stress levels, better focus, improved sleep quality, stronger social interaction, and enhanced creativity. The founder also argues that even small changes such as holding meetings outside, working in parks, or creating greener workspaces, can have a meaningful impact on mental health and productivity.
Outdoor Office Day will take place this year on June 11, when organizations and individuals around the world are encouraged to step outside their usual workplaces and reconnect with nature. YAP®’s continued involvement demonstrates how organizations dedicated to youth development and community engagement recognize the value of outdoor environments in supporting collaboration, creativity, and overall well-being. Through its participation, YAP® reinforces the idea that productive and meaningful work can happen beyond the walls of a traditional office.
“YAP Ireland often has rain but they get out their umbrellas for a walking meeting,” said YAP®’s Vice President of International Development Diana Matteson. “Whether its outdoor spaces at local libraries, porches, back yards, next to ponds with ducks and near chicken coops, community gardens, botanic gardens, public parks, on rooftops, taking over a parking space to make an outdoor office for a day, the YAP community never lacks for innovation and creative approaches whether its Outdoor Office Day or how we work with young people, families, and communities.”
The concept is not about completely replacing offices but about rethinking how work environments affect people. Organizers emphasize that workplaces should become more flexible, human-centered, and connected to wellness. Outdoor Office Day ultimately sends a simple message; sometimes productivity does not come from staying inside longer, but from stepping outside and allowing nature to become part of everyday life.
For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org. Click the link to learn more about Outdoor Office Day.
Kleo Bello is a dedicated journalist and advocate for social change from a small town in Albania. With a background in journalism, he has a deep passion for using media and storytelling to raise awareness about pressing societal issues, particularly domestic violence and poverty. Kleo’s work as an investigative journalist for the TV program Without Trace has allowed him to shed light on child labor challenges and those driving positive change in his community. His commitment extends beyond journalism, as he is also actively involved in a non-profit organization focusing on youth engagement and environmental protection, exemplified by his role in organizing the Vjosa N’Fest festival to raise awareness for the Vjosa River.
