What is the Living Schoolyards Act?
The Living Schoolyards Act (S-4993), introduced into the United States Senate by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), is a groundbreaking bill that will direct important federal resources towards transforming school grounds into living schoolyards—richly layered outdoor environments that strengthen local ecological systems while providing place-based, hands-on learning resources for students of all ages.
More information can be found in Senator Heinrich’s press release, which includes the text of the bill and a fact sheet about Living Schoolyards.
Office of U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich
Click to watch video: Living Schoolyards at Enos Garcia Elementary
“My Living Schoolyards Act will provide grants to help more schools build thriving outdoor learning environments on their campuses.”
Living Schoolyards Act Lecture Series
Exploring the Benefits to Education, Climate, Health, and Community
Green Schoolyards America will host a free five-part webinar series on the wide-ranging benefits of the Living Schoolyards Act.
In each session experts from a variety of disciplines will highlight a group of benefits of living schoolyards — and of this legislation when enacted — to children and communities across the nation. The sessions will provide information, resources, and ideas, and will help build a movement to pass this crucial legislation. We hope you will join us and invite your colleagues!
Senator Heinrich and enos garcia elementary students in their living schoolyard
© Paige Green for Education Outside
© GREEN SCHOOLYARDS AMERICA
© Tamar Barlev
@Portland Public Schools, Maine
Help Pass The Bill
Green Schoolyards America is leading the effort to build support for this bill and worked closely with Senator Heinrich on its creation. Below, we have put together tools to support your individual or organization-level advocacy for this bill.
Endorse the bill
If your organization (nonprofit, business, agency, school, firm, etc.) would like to endorse the Living Schoolyards Act, please click the button below to fill out our endorsement form and upload your organization’s logo when prompted. As an endorser, your organization will be included in the growing coalition of supporters whose logos are at the bottom of this page. This coalition will be shared with Senator Heinrich’s office, with the Senate committee who reviews the bill, and with the press.
Write a Letter to Congress
You can support the passage of the Living Schoolyards Act by writing a letter to your members of Congress, and organizations can reach out to partners to generate additional support for the bill. Below are letter templates for each purpose and a link to help you send your letter directly to your members of Congress. If you’d prefer sending your letter(s) on your own, you can find contact information here: Senate and House.
Individual Letter of Support (MS Word)
Organization Letter of Support (MS Word)
Organization Letter/Email to Partners to Grow the Coalition (MS Word)
Student Letter of Support (MS Word) -also included in our Student Advocacy Kit below
Student Advocacy Kit
If you are a student (or a teacher) and would like to support the passage of the Living Schoolyards Act, download our Student Advocacy Kit. In the kit you will find information on living schoolyards, a sample letter to Congress, and a checklist to help you learn more about your own schoolyard. Download our Student Advocacy Kit now and make your voice heard!
Other ways to help
Follow Green Schoolyards America on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and repost our posts about the Living Schoolyards Act. Urge people on social media to contact their members of Congress.
Write an Op Ed for your local paper about the importance of outdoor learning and what S-4993, the Living Schoolyards Act would mean to your community or your organization. Please mention the bill and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) by name. Urge readers to contact their members of Congress. Share your letter with us at letters@greenschoolyards.org.
Host a Schoolyard Tour
As we approach International School Grounds Month and Living Schoolyards Month in May, we are encouraging schools and districts to provide tours of their living schoolyards to raise awareness of and demonstrate the benefits of living schoolyards, and to advocate for the Living Schoolyards Act. We encourage you to plan events on your schoolyards in the month of May and invite elected officials. Check out our link below for some helpful tips to prepare for a tour.
@ Green Schoolyards America
Why We Need Living Schoolyards
Nearly 50 million students attend America’s public schools on campuses that occupy an estimated two million acres—some of our most heavily used and chronically underfunded public lands. Much of that land is paved, and yet school grounds play a central role in children’s lives and shape their perspective of the world around them.
The Benefits of Living Schoolyards
Transforming school grounds into living and green schoolyards provides equitable access to:
Place-based, hands-on learning resources for youth of all ages
Shade that protects students from extreme heat and reduces cooling costs in buildings
Improved learning outcomes in all subject areas - especially important after pandemic-related learning loss
Nature that reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and bullying
Opportunities for varied types of physical activity to reduce obesity and improve health
Community green spaces outside of school hours
Collegial space for teachers to relax and connect
Jobs in designing, building, and caring for schoolyards
© GREEN SCHOOLYARDS AMERICA
© GREEN SCHOOLYARDS AMERICA
Schoolyard Transformation
These are examples of schools that have transformed their schoolyards from primarily paved spaces to more diverse, green and living landscapes.
A Growing Coalition of Support
National Organizations
State-level and Local Organizations and Schools
Designers and Individuals
