• Courtney Crim is an Associate Professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Her teaching and research focus on inclusive learning, differentiated curriculum design and instruction, and nature and well-being. After arriving at Trinity in 2010, she guided cohorts in the Middle Grades and Secondary Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. In 2018, she shifted her focus to undergraduates, continuing work in teacher preparation while also infusing the university’s liberal arts curriculum across programs and disciplines. Here, she guides students as they explore the intersections of human development, culture, the natural world, and well-being. She serves on the Executive Board for the Texas Children in Nature Network, where she chairs the Governance Committee, is a member of the International Nature and Health Alliance, and is a state trainer for Project WILD and Growing Up WILD curricula. Her work bridges scholarship and practice to advance a culture of inclusion and connection, both inside and outside the classroom.

    Certified as a Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, Dr. Crim integrates evidence-based outdoor practices into her classes and community programming, leading guided walks that cultivate mindfulness, connection, and well-being. She co-leads an interdisciplinary research team with Dr. Laura Allen examining the impacts of natural environments on college student wellness and belonging. Their work has been published and presented internationally, and they are frequently invited to share their work in podcasts, webinars, seminars, and workshops. Together, Crim and Allen designed and co-teach the award-winning course, The Natural Environment and Well-Being. The course blends theory with practice as students analyze empirical research, explore a range of off-campus nature spaces (with at least 50% of class time spent outdoors), design Outdoor Learning Environments, conduct their own research, explore multiple ways of knowing, and develop practices to support their own well-being. Designed to fulfill requirements across multiple curricular programs and liberal arts pathways, the course brings together students from across disciplines to learn about and experience how nature can impact well-being.

    • Ed.D., University of Houston
    • MAT, Trinity University
    • B.A., Trinity Univerity 

    • Sosnaud, B., Allen, L., Crim, C. L., Barnett, E., & King, J. (2025). Heightening ecological connection through course-based approaches to well-being and the natural environment. Ecopsychology.
    • Allen, L., Crim, C. L., Sosnaud, B., Barnett, E., & King, J. (2024). Weaving well-being into educator preparation. Learning Policy Institute, EdPrepLab Research Brief.
    • Allen, L., Crim, C. L., Sosnaud, B., Barnett, E., & King, J. M. (2023). The effects of short-term natural environment exposure on preservice teacher well-being. TxEP: Texas Educator Preparation, Consortium of State Organizations for Texas Teacher Education, 7(2), 47–62.
    • Allen, L., Crim, C. L., Sosnaud, B., Barnett, E., King, J., & Hyler, M. (January, 2023). Nature nurtures teacher resilience at Trinity University. Learning Policy Institute, EdPrepLab Research Brief.
    • Crim, C. L.,  & Allen, L. (2021–2025). EDUC 3410/ENVI 3410: The natural environment and well-being (Trinity syllabi collection). https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/syllabi/
       

     

    • Webner, R. (2023, October 8). “Completely restored”: Trinity professors teaching students to use nature to recharge, cut stress. Laura Allen and Courtney Crim teach undergraduates about the health benefits of spending time in nature while collecting data to document those effects. San Antonio Express-News.
    • Custer, S. (2023, November 24). Campus interview: Laura Allen at Trinity University on connecting student well-being with the natural world (Episode 198) [Podcast]. Times Higher Education / Inside Higher Ed Podcast (with Courtney Crim, Benjamin Sosnaud, Ellen Barnett, & Jonathan King).
    • St. Clair, S. (Director). (2023, October 12). On the record [Television broadcast, 10:00–17:38]. KLRN, San Antonio, TX. (Interview: Crim, C. L., with Allen, L. V., Sosnaud, B., Barnett, E., & King, J.).

    • Nature and Well-Being
    • Teacher Preparation
    • Differentiated Instruction

    • Child and Adolescent Development
    • The Natural Environment & Well-Being
    • Directed Research
    • Instructional Design and Practice
    • First Year Experience – Climate Changed        
       

    • 2023. The Natural Environment and Well-Being — Community Award. San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio Light). 

    As part of my community involvement, I share my knowledge with the Trinity campus, educational communities, and the broader San Antonio community by guiding forest therapy walks. I believe these experiences are particularly valuable because they help individuals experience the benefits of time in nature within a hybrid urban setting. You do not have to be in a beautiful forest or on the side of a mountain (though that would be nice) to increase your well-being.

    I also devote a large portion of my time to the Texas Children in Nature Network (TCiNN), a nonprofit that ensures “equitable access and connection to nature for all children and families in Texas. TCiNN fosters healthier, happier, and more connected communities by promoting, creating, and implementing nature-based education, health, and community programming across the state” (website). The network includes more than 1,000 partners affiliated with organizations and programs across Texas. I serve on TCiNN’s Executive Board, where I also chair the Governance Committee. As a trainer for Project WILD and Growing Up WILD curricula, I am often able to facilitate professional development for local educators.