By: Kevin Lee

About a year ago in Philadelphia, Add B. Anderson’s schoolyard was nothing but a bone dry wasteland—just some concrete. There was no playground, there was no basketball court, there wasn’t even any grass.

According to Laurena Zeller, Add B. Anderson’s Principal, “That yard was literally just concrete. Broken concrete with a little weed in between.”

But now, the yard has been remodeled. Now, there is a basketball court, a few picnic tables, a playground, a big running track, some trees to provide shade, a garden with beautiful flowers, and some PE equipment such as basketballs, a stack of cones, etc.

According to NPR, “At the Anderson School, which has a majority Black student body, that meant third graders took charge.” The revamping of an entire schoolyard led by 3rd-grade students (with adult supervision) is a very impressive accomplishment. Especially when the 3rd-graders have to plot the basic layout and lead the entire school in improving the schoolyard.

In the US, park access is unequal to some citizens. According to the Trust for Public Land, “In America’s biggest cities, neighborhoods of color have an average of 44% less park space than white communities, and similar disparities exist in low-income communities.”