Greening Schoolyards
120 Resources
Watch the October 4, 2024, recording of the National League of Cities and Children & Nature Network in-depth look at the new report “How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value.” The conversation, moderated by NLC’s Dr. Robert Blaine, primarily featured report author Rob Grunewald, with additional insights and perspective from Jordan Twardy from the City of Dearborn and Priya Cook from C&NN.
This slide deck on the economic benefits of green schoolyards can be used to support your own case-making efforts. Kindly credit them to Rob Grunewald in your presentations.
This report, authored by former Federal Reserve economist Rob Grunewald, investigates the economic returns that can accompany investments in greening school grounds. Grunewald based much of his report on data from a study of a large-scale green schoolyard project in Denver, Colorado, that converted 99 traditional elementary schoolyards to green schoolyards over a 12-year period.
The Green Schoolyards Evaluation Tool (GSET) can support schools, designers and others in designing green schoolyards that promote child development, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The GSET can also be used by researchers to assess the design of green schoolyards, which may improve the generalizability of future studies.
This Digest explores the community and environmental benefits of green schoolyards.
The AISD Educational Specifications, or “Ed Specs,” are design standards and concepts used by the school District to guide new school facility construction and major space renovations to create engaging and effective learning environments. School Districts are required by state law to adopt Educational Specifications.
These Guidelines outline the design principles, components, materials, and processes needed to plan, implement, and manage outdoor play and learning environments that foster climate resiliency, community cohesion, health, and nature connection.
This resource document supports cities in how to make the case to their city or district leaders to use funding to support green schoolyards. It is a communications and messaging focused toolkit with links to templates, press releases and case study examples.
This special issue focuses on the physical health benefits of both passive and active forms of nature engagement. Also discussed are several ideas about how health-care professionals are tapping into the health-promoting powers of nature engagement.
The following article was published in the September 2020 issue of Green Schoolyards Catalyst Quarterly, a publication of the...
Key strategies and policy tools to advance racial inclusion and equitable growth in cities.
Advocacy and planning resources for improving walkability can increase community access to green schoolyards.
Green schoolyards provide many proven benefits for kids, from enhancing academic achievement to promoting health and wellness.
These tools and resources will help you and your allies confidently “make the case” for green schoolyards, whether the audience is your school board, superintendent, principal, teachers, parents or community members.
Comprehensive design intervention focused on promoting healthy outdoor environments at child care centers.
This case study summarizes research findings about the positive outcomes of outdoor learning and shares schoolyard-learning tips and essentials for educators.
Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board uses equity-driven metrics for selecting projects in neighborhood parks.
Lessons learned, templates, and agreements for joint-use of school grounds in your community.
This lecture series highlights school districts innovating outdoor education spaces with a focus on storm water management.
Watch the October 4, 2024, recording of the National League of Cities and Children & Nature Network in-depth look at the new report “How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value.” The conversation, moderated by NLC’s Dr. Robert Blaine, primarily featured report author Rob Grunewald, with additional insights and perspective from Jordan Twardy from the City of Dearborn and Priya Cook from C&NN.
This slide deck on the economic benefits of green schoolyards can be used to support your own case-making efforts. Kindly credit them to Rob Grunewald in your presentations.
This set of resources includes a report developed by national economist Rob Grunewald titled, "How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value." The report takes a deep look at the economic benefits of green schoolyards as well as additional benefits such as boosting children’s learning, enhancing environmental sustainability, and supporting community development and health. Additional resources include source data and case studies for the report from The Big Sandbox, Inc. and Autocase Economic Advisory, plus infographics, case making materials and more.
This lecture series highlights school districts innovating outdoor education spaces with a focus on storm water management.
With funding from the U.S. Forest Service, Milwaukee’s Green Schools program reduces storm water runoff, transforms asphalt surfaces, and provides valuable shade canopy where children play.
Voters continuously approve a ballot initiative for bond funding to green schoolyards in San Francisco.
A conservation loans program that offers flexible financing with sustained technical assistance. Take the eligibility survey and apply for funding to support your schoolyard conservation project.
This collaboration between Clean Water Partnership (CWP) and Prince George’s County Public Schools helps meet federal stormwater standards and fosters new generations of water quality protectors.
Omaha Public School’s guide for reducing storm water on school grounds, including lesson plans for teachers and maintenance resources for administrators
State trust fund supports projects enhancing play and outdoor learning on school grounds.
Space to Grow Chicago has a unique partnership, community engagement and stewardship model for green schoolyards.
Park walk ability scores and green infrastructure are used as programmatic and funding strategies for schoolyard transformation.
Out Teach provides professional development, mentoring and modeling for schools with outdoor classrooms. Their program is highly successful and improves teacher and student motivation.
This case study highlights the program and funding that has allowed all schools in Santa Cruz, CA to have garden-based education as part of its district learning goals.
Over the past 30 years, SPARK has built more than 200 community parks in 17 school districts in Harris County, Texas, including neighborhoods where no parks existed.
Baltimore City Public Schools has a robust and comprehensive approach to its green schools initiative that supports the health and well-being of students, families and the community.
This case study narrates the evolution of green schoolyards in San Francisco, and their supporting programming including Americorps-funded educators at many schools.
William Cramp Community School (K-5) serves as a prototype for greening schoolyards in Philadelphia.
Get2Green supports county-wide efforts to engage Pre-K-12 students in environmental stewardship, incorporate sustainability in the classroom, schoolyard greening throughout the district.
Key strategies and policy tools to advance racial inclusion and equitable growth in cities.
This agreement from Austin, TX is an example of how a school district and a city park department can specifies maintenance responsibilities for shared properties.
This toolkit shares lessons learned from California schools with successful joint use agreements, offering guidelines and templates for other communities seeking to increase access to school recreational facilities.
Lessons learned, templates, and agreements for joint-use of school grounds in your community.
This lecture series highlights school districts innovating outdoor education spaces with a focus on storm water management.
The Providence Public School District distributes a request form to parents and guardians annually that, once signed, permits students to attend walking field trips to outdoor classrooms located nearby.
A guide with real-life examples, best practices and practical steps to help agencies implement a wellness policy and create sustainable site changes.
Park walk ability scores and green infrastructure are used as programmatic and funding strategies for schoolyard transformation.
With funding from the U.S. Forest Service, Milwaukee’s Green Schools program reduces storm water runoff, transforms asphalt surfaces, and provides valuable shade canopy where children play.
Omaha Public School’s guide for reducing storm water on school grounds, including lesson plans for teachers and maintenance resources for administrators
Downloadable and customize these sample resources for joint use agreements between schools and city government.
New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection leads multiple agency partners in the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable green infrastructure on schoolyards and other spaces.
An example of how Arkansas tobacco excise tax helps fund shared use programs that benefit health and education.
National inventory of state farm to school legislation that can support green schoolyards.
Over the past 30 years, SPARK has built more than 200 community parks in 17 school districts in Harris County, Texas, including neighborhoods where no parks existed.
This action-oriented guide supports local, state, and federal officials in planning for health at all levels to address determinants of chronic disease.
This declaration from the International School Grounds Alliance (ISGA) shows how beneficial risk is an important component of schoolyard design and use.
This policy outlines Providence Public School District’s goals and expectations relative to wellness for the entire school community.
List of 55 priority actions including proposals for policy and practice reforms at the local, state, and federal levels, to help systematically scale green schoolyards.
This guide is intended to encourage partnerships between park agencies and stormwater agencies aimed at promoting the use of green infrastructure on park lands.
This agreement from Austin, TX is an example of how a school district and a city park department can specifies maintenance responsibilities for shared properties.
This webinar discusses the essential role of green schoolyards in a post-COVID area. With play structures being closed due to COVID-19, the public access of green schoolyards is even more critical.
This collaboration between Clean Water Partnership (CWP) and Prince George’s County Public Schools helps meet federal stormwater standards and fosters new generations of water quality protectors.
A guide with real-life examples, best practices and practical steps to help agencies implement a wellness policy and create sustainable site changes.
Space to Grow Chicago has a unique partnership, community engagement and stewardship model for green schoolyards.
Park walk ability scores and green infrastructure are used as programmatic and funding strategies for schoolyard transformation.
New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection leads multiple agency partners in the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable green infrastructure on schoolyards and other spaces.
An example of how non-traditional partnerships grow green schoolyards in Chicago.
Partnerships are key for funding, implementing, scaling and sustaining successful and systemic green schoolyards programs. Join us to discover how very different partnership models developed to advance green schoolyards in 3 cities: Houston, TX; Denver, CO and Chicago, IL.
Why do children need green school grounds? This short, compelling video can help you make your case.
Analysis of an agreement that permits community recreational use of school property.
This guide provides information, examples and considerations for working with public agencies and developing partnerships with public schools to develop school gardens.
68 Resources
The Green Schoolyards Evaluation Tool (GSET) can support schools, designers and others in designing green schoolyards that promote child development, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The GSET can also be used by researchers to assess the design of green schoolyards, which may improve the generalizability of future studies.
Three themes are addressed in this digest, which features 2020 studies not appearing in another Digest: Connectedness to nature, Implications for design, and Social-emotional and play considerations.
A collection of inspiring images and guidance for creating nature play spaces.
Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board uses equity-driven metrics for selecting projects in neighborhood parks.
Comprehensive design intervention focused on promoting healthy outdoor environments at child care centers.
This lecture series highlights school districts innovating outdoor education spaces with a focus on storm water management.
How to plan, start and maintain native plant gardens in green schoolyards.
This Grounds for Change project helps schools develop outdoor curriculum and shares seven key steps for successful experiential learning programs in urban settings.
Space to Grow Chicago has a unique partnership, community engagement and stewardship model for green schoolyards.
Park walk ability scores and green infrastructure are used as programmatic and funding strategies for schoolyard transformation.
A comprehensive self-study to assess physical environment, interactions, programming, materials and teacher’s roles at early education sites.
A collection of surveys to delineate community needs and roles in schoolyard transformation.
This collaboration between Clean Water Partnership (CWP) and Prince George’s County Public Schools helps meet federal stormwater standards and fosters new generations of water quality protectors.
Sign up using your zip code for a free, downloadable list of plants that will attract pollinators and help you build beautiful pollinator habitat in your region. Canadian guidelines are also available.
State trust fund supports projects enhancing play and outdoor learning on school grounds.
This guide offers five key strategies for reducing urban heat islands, including strategic vegetation and building practices.
All-inclusive resource for schoolyard habitat design, maintenance and programming.
Detailed descriptions and images for appropriate green tree planting and maintenance for green schoolyards.
New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection leads multiple agency partners in the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable green infrastructure on schoolyards and other spaces.
Resources, tips and ideas to prepare a class for the outdoors, manage students and transition back indoors, including a sample station rotation schedule, photo gallery, webinars, and more.
This case study summarizes research findings about the positive outcomes of outdoor learning and shares schoolyard-learning tips and essentials for educators.
This set of guides (U.S. and international) outlines 99 activities designed to help pre-K through high school students explore living school grounds.
This Grounds for Change project helps schools develop outdoor curriculum and shares seven key steps for successful experiential learning programs in urban settings.
The Providence Public School District distributes a request form to parents and guardians annually that, once signed, permits students to attend walking field trips to outdoor classrooms located nearby.
Baltimore City Public Schools has a robust and comprehensive approach to its green schools initiative that supports the health and well-being of students, families and the community.
This case study narrates the evolution of green schoolyards in San Francisco, and their supporting programming including Americorps-funded educators at many schools.
Get2Green supports county-wide efforts to engage Pre-K-12 students in environmental stewardship, incorporate sustainability in the classroom, schoolyard greening throughout the district.
A rural green schoolyards program, Learning Landscapes takes advantage of preserved adjacent property and develops school grounds with trails, outdoor classroom areas and native plantings
Tips to help schools and school communities design and host monarch butterfly habitat to learn about wildlife conservation and support cross-curricular learning.
This guide, created through a public review process, marries professional standards with environmental educators’ best practices in community engagement, including case studies and a 25-item toolkit.
Growing food on your green schoolyard? Follow these protocols for safe and healthy harvest and food service.
This toolkit shares lessons learned from California schools with successful joint use agreements, offering guidelines and templates for other communities seeking to increase access to school recreational facilities.
This webinar discusses the essential role of green schoolyards in a post-COVID area. With play structures being closed due to COVID-19, the public access of green schoolyards is even more critical.
Downloadable and customize these sample resources for joint use agreements between schools and city government.
This collaboration between Clean Water Partnership (CWP) and Prince George’s County Public Schools helps meet federal stormwater standards and fosters new generations of water quality protectors.
A guide with real-life examples, best practices and practical steps to help agencies implement a wellness policy and create sustainable site changes.
Space to Grow Chicago has a unique partnership, community engagement and stewardship model for green schoolyards.
Park walk ability scores and green infrastructure are used as programmatic and funding strategies for schoolyard transformation.
Over the past 30 years, SPARK has built more than 200 community parks in 17 school districts in Harris County, Texas, including neighborhoods where no parks existed.
Baltimore City Public Schools has a robust and comprehensive approach to its green schools initiative that supports the health and well-being of students, families and the community.
This case study narrates the evolution of green schoolyards in San Francisco, and their supporting programming including Americorps-funded educators at many schools.
William Cramp Community School (K-5) serves as a prototype for greening schoolyards in Philadelphia.
Get2Green supports county-wide efforts to engage Pre-K-12 students in environmental stewardship, incorporate sustainability in the classroom, schoolyard greening throughout the district.
A rural green schoolyards program, Learning Landscapes takes advantage of preserved adjacent property and develops school grounds with trails, outdoor classroom areas and native plantings
Out Teach provides professional development, mentoring and modeling for schools with outdoor classrooms. Their program is highly successful and improves teacher and student motivation.
This case study highlights the program and funding that has allowed all schools in Santa Cruz, CA to have garden-based education as part of its district learning goals.
Federal funds support the development of community learning centers for academic enrichment during non-school hours.
Data to help state decision makers incentivize and promote shared used agreements in schools to grow healthier kids and communities.
This report focuses on the potential benefits and unintended consequences of state policies specifically focused on Out-of-School-Time (OST) programs.
Based on a decade of data, this website documents the benefits associated with participation in and public support for afterschool programs.
Growing food on your green schoolyard? Follow these protocols for safe and healthy harvest and food service.
13 Resources
The Green Schoolyards Evaluation Tool (GSET) can support schools, designers and others in designing green schoolyards that promote child development, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The GSET can also be used by researchers to assess the design of green schoolyards, which may improve the generalizability of future studies.
This agreement from Austin, TX is an example of how a school district and a city park department can specifies maintenance responsibilities for shared properties.
How to plan, start and maintain native plant gardens in green schoolyards.
Detailed descriptions and images for appropriate green tree planting and maintenance for green schoolyards.
This toolkit from Denver includes how-to resources, videos and activity guides for shared maintenance responsibilities among the school, district facility management and community members.
New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection leads multiple agency partners in the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable green infrastructure on schoolyards and other spaces.
All-inclusive resource for schoolyard habitat design, maintenance and programming.
The toolkit from Austin Public Schools and the Austin Area School Garden Collaborative connects educators with relevant research, project examples, how-to information, and local resources.
Voter-approved city bond funding pays for schoolyard transformation program in Denver, CO.
This guide provides information, examples and considerations for working with public agencies and developing partnerships with public schools to develop school gardens.
Assessment helps community members work with school districts and municipal officials to promote policies that encourage schoolyard improvements, shared use and ongoing maintenance.
Prevent vandalism on your schoolyard with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), used by architects, city planners, landscape and interior designers, and law enforcement to create a safer community.
26 Resources
The Youth Outdoor Policy Partnership is a collaboration of leading national organizations working across sectors to ensure that all children have access to high-quality outdoor experiences and environmental education. Every year, we publish an Annual Trend Report that shares innovative policies to encourage legislators, advocates, communities and youth to replicate, rethink and collaborate to build equitable youth outdoor opportunities. Together, we'll explore the latest state-level policy updates from 2024, winning coalition-building strategies, and exciting advocacy strategies for 2025 with a panel of youth outdoor policy leaders.
Watch the October 4, 2024, recording of the National League of Cities and Children & Nature Network in-depth look at the new report “How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value.” The conversation, moderated by NLC’s Dr. Robert Blaine, primarily featured report author Rob Grunewald, with additional insights and perspective from Jordan Twardy from the City of Dearborn and Priya Cook from C&NN.
This slide deck on the economic benefits of green schoolyards can be used to support your own case-making efforts. Kindly credit them to Rob Grunewald in your presentations.
This set of resources includes a report developed by national economist Rob Grunewald titled, "How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value." The report takes a deep look at the economic benefits of green schoolyards as well as additional benefits such as boosting children’s learning, enhancing environmental sustainability, and supporting community development and health. Additional resources include source data and case studies for the report from The Big Sandbox, Inc. and Autocase Economic Advisory, plus infographics, case making materials and more.
This report, authored by former Federal Reserve economist Rob Grunewald, investigates the economic returns that can accompany investments in greening school grounds. Grunewald based much of his report on data from a study of a large-scale green schoolyard project in Denver, Colorado, that converted 99 traditional elementary schoolyards to green schoolyards over a 12-year period.
The Green Schoolyards Evaluation Tool (GSET) can support schools, designers and others in designing green schoolyards that promote child development, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The GSET can also be used by researchers to assess the design of green schoolyards, which may improve the generalizability of future studies.
This Digest explores the community and environmental benefits of green schoolyards.
Roanoke school district’s innovative equity rating system to improve achievement for all students, including measures for consideration in selecting schools for green schoolyard programs.
This Placemaking Assessment Tool can help a community turn underused places into ones that attract people and activity, and support economic development in alignment with a community’s goals.
This simple one-page how-to guide provides fill-in charts to assess how many children and how much physical activity can be accommodated in an existing playground design.
The City of Madison’s inventory of green schoolyard features and outdoor educational infrastructure within the Madison Metropolitan School District guides use of existing infrastructure and priorities for improvements.
This Grounds for Change project helps schools develop outdoor curriculum and shares seven key steps for successful experiential learning programs in urban settings.
A data collection tool to track how students travel to and from school and understand parents’ perceptions of safety.
A comprehensive self-study to assess physical environment, interactions, programming, materials and teacher’s roles at early education sites.
Out Teach provides professional development, mentoring and modeling for schools with outdoor classrooms. Their program is highly successful and improves teacher and student motivation.
This survey was created to measure whether and how children have access to nature on early San Francisco education sites serving ages five and under.
An interactive tool and index that ranks America’s 100 largest cities and their park systems.
This framework describes a set of potential outcomes with which green schoolyards can be evaluated across a city, county or school district. The short- and long-term outcomes may be considered at any stage of the development of green schoolyard programs, while also providing potential evaluative options for longitudinal, multi-city research.
The Urban Biodiversity Inventory Framework (UBIF) is a tool tthat help cities make appropriate management decisions to protect and enhance urban biodiversity.
Austin’s Nature Equity Score is a data-based decision-making tool that helps city and community leaders determine where to pilot green schoolyard projects.
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