Our Mission

Green Schoolyards America inspires and supports systems change to transform asphalt-covered school grounds into living schoolyards that improve children’s well-being, learning, and play, while strengthening their communities' ecological health and climate resilience. 

Our Vision

Green Schoolyards America envisions a future in which public school grounds are used strategically to improve the well-being of all children, the environment, and communities. To achieve this, we are working toward the following outcomes:

Children

All children have daily access to nature on their school grounds, supporting dynamic hands-on learning across the curriculum and grade levels, child-directed play, student health and well-being, and a positive social environment. 

Environment

School grounds function as green infrastructure for their cities, helping to foster healthy urban watersheds, robust wildlife habitats and corridors, improved climate change mitigation, and better air quality.

Community

School grounds are vibrant centers for their neighborhoods—used and valued during the school day for academic and recreational purposes and by their communities after hours. Students and the school community are stewards of their school grounds, actively taking part in shaping and caring for their shared public space.

Equity

Living school grounds are designed and managed with a commitment to equity by prioritizing children and communities with greatest need for educational, environmental, health, and open space improvements.

Our Approach

We catalyze systemic change via four approaches: 

Research

We gather data and research about the impact of school ground greening on children’s health, education, and the environment—to center our work on an evidence-based understanding. 

Policy

We collaborate with school districts, public agencies, and nonprofit 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. 

Advocacy

We advocate for systems and policies to support the creation and management of living schoolyards in ways that resonate with decision makers and communities.

Support

We lead technical assistance programs and create online resources to support school district leaders in developing and adopting long-lasting, multi-benefit living schoolyard initiatives.