‘Spaces to Grow’ Program Brings Outdoor Play To Chicago Elementary Students

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In the fall of 2014, through a partnership between Openlands and the Healthy Schools Campaign, four Chicago schoolyards were transformed into dynamic spaces for outdoor learning and active play.

According to a recent blog post from the Healthy Schools Campaign, for over a year community leaders and school officials at four pilot schools had been planning for the implementation of the Space to Grow program.

The hope is to provide children with an opportunity to go beyond the confines of the traditional learning environment to outdoor classrooms, where they will have the chance to experience edible gardens, hands on science lessons, and the opportunity to be more active.

Students at Schmid, Grissom, Leland, and Morrill elementary schools are all benefiting from the new schoolyards which have also been designed to reduce stormwater runoff.

Already, school administrators have reported positive findings such as more children spending time in schoolyards and community members taking advantage of the extra spaces to exercise. In 2015, Space to Grow partners hope to roll out six more schoolyards.

Read the full story here.

Read more about the Space to Grow initiative here.