Making the Case
Why do green schoolyards matter and what are their benefits? These materials will help you align your future or current ways of thinking with new allies.
Education Advocacy
Adequate & Equitable U.S. PK-12 Infrastructure: Priority Actions for Systemic Reform
Identifies 55 priority actions for systemic PK–12 infrastructure reform
- Mary Filardo, Jeffrey M. Vincent
- The Center for Cities + Schools at University of California - Berkeley
- 2017
Advocating Local Policy Change
Wisconsin Association of School Boards offers advocacy tips for local policy change.
- Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Asphalt to ecosystems: Design ideas for schoolyard transformation
A guide for transforming ordinary asphalt and turf grass schoolyards into vibrant ecosystems
- Sharon Danks
- Green Schoolyards America
- 2010
Blueprints for Hope: Engaging children as critical actors in urban place making
Intentionally including students in design processes creates more meaningful community spaces.
- Deborah McKoy, Shirl Buss, Jessie Stewart
- The Center for Cities + Schools at University of California - Berkeley
- 2014
Collaborative Work
Why do children need green school grounds? This short, compelling video can help you make your case
- International School Grounds Alliance
- 2016
Create a Schoolyard Habitat ® for Monarchs and Other Pollinators
Pollinator-friendly schoolyard gardens provide monarch habitat and cross-curricular learning.
- National Wildlife Federation
Creating & Retrofitting Play Environments: Best Practice Guidelines
A resource and training tool for integrating nature into traditional playgrounds
- PlayCore
- 2009
Developing Great Schoolyards: A Handbook for Elementary Schools - 1st Edition
Elements of healthy, safe and educationally-rich schoolyards in photos with concise text
- 21st Century School Fund
- 2011
Eat What You Grow: A School Garden Food Safety Manual for Chicago Public Schools
Growing food on your green schoolyard? Follow these protocols for safe and healthy harvest and food service.
- Family Farmed
Eduation Equity Requires modern school faciltities
Including schools in federal infrastructure funding is essential for these community assets
- Filardo, Vincent, Sullivan
- September 2018
Green Schoolyards
Portland Public Schools identifies green schoolyard elements within the district.
- Portland Public Schools
Green Schoolyards as an Element of Reform
Ten reasons schools should consider green schoolyards for furthering educational goals and objectives
- Kirk Meyer
- Education Week
- 2010
Growing a Healthier DC: Greening Our Schools
Issue brief about how green schoolyards can maximize social, economic and ecological benefits in America’s capitol
- Casey Trees
- 2008
Joint Use Agreement (JUA) Grant
An Arkansas state tax on tobacco funds partnerships that promote physical activity in schools.
- Arkansas Department of Education
Learning Center
Advocacy and planning resources for improving walkability can increase community access to green schoolyards
- America Walks
Learning Landscapes
Voter-approved city bond funding pays for schoolyard transformation program
- Learning Landscapes
- 2013
Moving Learning Outdoors: Embracing Schoolyards as 21st Century Classrooms
A compelling case for teaching outdoors and how-to tips
- Herb Broda
- Green Schools National Network
- 2016
Outdoor Classroom Design Guide
Successful concepts used in years of Boston outdoor classroom design work
- Boston Schoolyard Initiative
- 2013
Outdoor Classroom User's Guide
This comprehensive guide addresses aspirations and management of outdoor learning spaces.
- Boston Schoolyard Initiative
- 2014
Playing smart: maximizing the potential of school and community property through joint use agreements
Lessons learned, templates, and agreements for joint-use of school grounds in your community
- KaBOOM!
- Public Health Law & Policy
Preventing Obesity by Design
Designing outdoor environments with children’s health and wellbeing in mind
- Natural Learning Initiative at the College of Design, North Carolina State University
- 2009
Providence Public Schools Health and Wellness Policy
A school district’s goals and guidelines for health and wellness of the entire school community
- Providence Public School District
- August 2017
School board advocacy toolkit
Get a better understanding of how to advocate about school sustainability to school boards
- Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council
- July 2018
School garden development guide
School garden design guidelines from the Palm Beach County School District
- Palm Beach County School District
- 2016
Schoolyard Habitat Program
Teachers and students create wildlife habitat using the Schoolyard Habitat Program.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- 2016
Shade for Kids - A Policy Primer for School Boards
Six steps school boards can take to safeguard children’s health by improving shade on schoolyards
- Evergreen
State Environmental Literacy Plans - 2014 Status Report
State environmental literacy plans support implementation and use of green schoolyards.
- North American Association for Environmental Education
- 2015
State farm to school legislative survey: 2002-2014
National inventory of state farm to school legislation that can support green schoolyards
- National Farm to School Network
- 2015
Steps To A School Garden
Resources for every step of managing school gardens
- Collective School Garden Network
- 2015
Storm smart schools
A case study from a collaboration in Newport News, VA
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- June 2017
Strategies for recess in schools
National guidance, considerations and strategies for recess advocacy in schools
- SHAPE America—Society of Health and Physical Educators
- 2017
The Learning Grounds Guide for Schools - 3rd Edition
Resources for every stage of schoolyard greening, programming and maintenance
- Debby Morton, Tim Cameron, Jane Hayes
- Evergreen
- 2015
The Power and Potential of Green Schoolyards
District-wide green schoolyard programs can address complex community problems.
- Sharon Danks
- Children & Nature Network
- 2014
The Whole-School Sustainability Framework: Guiding Principles for Integrating Sustainability Into All Aspects of a School Organization
The case for green schoolyards as part of a whole-school sustainability framework.
- Stephanie K. Barr, Jennifer E. Cross, Brian H. Dunbar
- The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council
- 2014
Transforming Outdoor Learning in Schools: Lessons from the Natural Connections Project
Champions the value and impact of well-planned, regular outdoor learning based on work with 125 schools
- Plymouth University
- 2016
Unlocking collaborative solutions to water challenges in the Los Angeles region: the power of schools
An exploration of a multi-agency partnership to collect stormwater on schoolyards
- Weinstein Bloome, Lipkis
- TreePeople
- January 2015
Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child
The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model coordinates policy, process and practice to improve learning and health.
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
- 2014
