By: Derrick Chen

Kids at the Add B. Anderson School transformed their schoolyard from bare concrete to a green space. Today, it has basketball courts, a track, play equipment, and two rain gardens. One year ago, kids had to shoot a basketball into a trash can that was dragged outside.

Children, 8 and 9 year olds, led this project to its completion. “Having 8- and 9-year-olds kind of navigate that process and have autonomy and voice, and then design it and then get feedback and then present the final project – it’s beautiful,” says Anderson principal Laurena Zeller. Zeller knows how hard these kids worked and thinks that this project was an incredible experience. Principal Zeller added, “I think it’s life changing. I just can’t even not get emotional when I think about the impact of that.” The kids surveyed teachers, families, and neighbors to help design the schoolyard. They observed small details like what was done where. The 3rd graders studied the nooks and crannies of the old schoolyard and transformed it into the beautiful one that is there today.

The schoolyard helps a nationwide initiative of creating new green spaces for low-income families and people of color. Studies in America’s biggest cities show that park space is not equal. According to the Trust for Public Land, neighborhoods of color have 44% less park space than white neighborhoods.

This disparity is a big problem when you consider the physical and mental benefits of a green space. It can lower rates of depression and premature death.

In big cities, there isn’t much room to build green spaces. However, we could use schoolyards as green spaces by revamping more schoolyards into green spaces.

Kids could use the green space as part of their curriculum to teach them about nature. After all, studies have shown green spaces also have massive benefits to the kids such as improved academics.