Playground Renovation. Community Transformation.
Nearly every neighborhood in the country has a public school, and nearly every public school has a schoolyard. The quality of that space matters not only to the students but to all the nearby residents, whether they use it or not. See how a playground renovation can create deep community transformation.
By Deborah Williams
Published August 20, 2024
The students, staff, and surrounding community at Bregy Elementary School in South Philadelphia had a nearly 40,000 square foot problem they were hoping to address. The playground was, as student Mariah Murray put it, “basic, boring, and dirty.” Like too many of our nation’s schoolyards, it was a sea of asphalt that lacked modern equipment, hindered active creative play that children needed, and did little for the broader community. When Principal Shakeera Warthen-Canty began searching for a solution, she found Trust for Public Land. Find out how we’ve helped this community and hundreds more transform uninspired expanses of blacktop into oases of learning, inspiration, and local pride.
Learn more about our work, and donate to help transform dated schoolyards into vibrant green learning spaces that serve communities.
Community schoolyards advance health, climate, equity, and educational outcomes in students and their communities. They are an evidence-based initiative that works to address some of society’s greatest inequities.
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