If you asked any child what they wanted at school, they would likely say more play and more recess and more time outside. Parents and teachers also want safe and nourishing learning environments for students. Many of us care that our children have connections to their communities and to the natural environment around them and want those communities and the environment to be healthy as well.

Sadly, most schoolyards today do not reflect these values. Much of the land on our nation’s public school campuses is paved and lacks tree canopy in places children spend their time during the school day, leaving millions of students exposed to unhealthy high temperatures. This is a problem for all schools, but places a significant, disproportionate burden on schools in communities with the lowest income and communities of color, who have historically lacked access to the health benefits that nature provides.

Problems at the system level

Over the decade, Green Schoolyards America has helped to bring about increased enthusiasm and awareness about the benefits of and critical need for greening school grounds. Unfortunately, in our work with schools, districts, and other partners, we still see that even when individuals are working diligently to support greening efforts, they still often come up against the processes, policies, or structural conditions that make that difficult. This is because the systems that govern education and schoolyards favor (some would even say, “are designed to produce”) the current conditions.

For example, schoolyards are one of the few spaces that exist primarily for children. However, because children are not often prioritized or represented in our political systems, these spaces are rarely formed and resourced in ways that center and meet their unique needs. Similarly, schools are often the closest piece of public land to many families. But, because they are governed by school boards instead of city councils or county commissions, they are not often considered in city planning or land management and are rarely recognized for the benefits they provide to communities. All of which results in kids being crammed into indoor classrooms for most of the school day and outdoor spaces that are hot and devoid of nature and things that promote wellbeing.

Taking steps towards a new paradigm

If we are going to rectify this mismatch in existing conditions and values, we need to transform our systems so that they support schoolyard greening instead of hinder it. So what does it look like to actually bring about these changes?

Last year we conducted a comprehensive assessment and identified specific bureaucratic barriers to transitioning schoolyards from unsafe asphalt to green spaces. We are now working with decision makers to remove these barriers and pursue policies to support school districts and community organizations in building and stewarding living schoolyards. We also partner with government agencies to create programs and funding streams that support living schoolyards creation, use, and maintenance.

For example, the Living Schoolyards Act (S-1538), introduced into the United States Senate by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), would be the first legislation to direct federal resources towards upgrading school grounds into nature-based learning environments. If passed, the legislation will create a grant program and provide funding to schools and districts to transform their schoolyards, including creating outdoor classrooms and learning spaces. Green Schoolyards America worked closely with Senator Heinrich on its creation, and is leading the effort to build support for this bill.

In California, we worked with coalition partners to get Proposition 2 (school facilities bond) and Proposition 4 (climate bond) on the ballot in November and ensured that those two measures include green schoolyards. Green Schoolyards America has formally endorsed these two propositions and is working with partners to pass them.

Lastly, while California has recognized and invested in school-ground greening as a climate mitigation strategy, certain policy and institutional barriers need to be addressed to ensure that those investments are successful. SB 1091, introduced by Senator Menjivar, will address one such barrier by capping the required improvements to the path of travel, beyond the greening project boundary to 20% of the adjusted construction cost for the project, in line with federal ADA law. This will make it possible for many public schools, especially the ones with less resources, to implement greening projects. Green Schoolyards America is co-sponsoring the bill with Trust for Public Land, and has been working with the Senator and other nonprofit partners to get the bill passed.

Get involved

We are energized by the conversations we are having with legislators and the partnerships we are building with coalition members. We thank those of you that have responded to our calls to action and look forward to continuing to work with you all to shift the landscape so that policies and practices from the district level up through regional, state and national levels are supportive of schoolyard greening.

To keep informed on our policy efforts and ways to support, follow us on social media or visit our website https://www.greenschoolyards.org/advocacy

This blog was written in collaboration with Sarah Matsumoto, our Director of Policy and Government Affairs