Policy and Advocacy

Green Schoolyards America collaborates with partners to catalyze policy change at the school district, city, county, state, and national levels to improve the design, use, and stewardship of public school grounds. We advocate for systems and policies to support the creation and management of living schoolyards in ways that resonate with decision makers and communities. Learn more below about these efforts and how you can help!

CA Prop 2 and Prop 4

Green Schoolyards America is endorsing Proposition 2 and Proposition 4, which will be on the ballot in California this November. Both bond measures, one for school facilities and one for climate, help to protect children from extreme heat and other impacts of climate change by providing funding for schoolyard greening efforts. Learn more below!

CA SB 1091 - Schoolyard Greening Projects

California Senate Bill 1091, introduced by Senator Menjivar, will reduce a significant barrier to school-ground greening, and make it possible for many public schools, especially the ones with less resources, to implement school ground greening projects.

Green Schoolyards America is pleased to be sponsoring this bill along with Trust for Public Land.

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Living Schoolyards act

The Living Schoolyards Act (S-1538), introduced into the United States Senate by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), is a groundbreaking bill will direct important federal resources towards upgrading school grounds into nature-based learning environments that help reduce the impacts of extreme weather while providing students access to shaded play, recreation, gardening and outdoor learning.

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Living schoolyards month

We worked with California Assembly Member Phil Ting on Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 128 (ACR-128), which designates the month of May as "Living Schoolyard Month" in California every year. It also asks "...the State Department of Education, school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to continue to prioritize the design and construction of student-accessible green space on school campuses and to integrate use of this space into the teaching of standards-based curriculum." Click here to learn more about this exciting state resolution.

Green Schoolyards America now produces a collaboratively written Living Schoolyard Activity Guide to support California's celebration of Living Schoolyard Month and contribute to the global celebration of International School Grounds Month in May. Read more about these celebrations and download the free publications here.

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