Trust for Public Land and Castellanos Elementary Community Schoolyard Win Anthem Award
Castellanos Elementary Community Schoolyard is the flagship project of TPL’s “28×28” Initiative in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, CA – Trust for Public Land (TPL) today announced that it has been honored with a Silver Award in the Sustainability, Environment & Climate: Community Space category in the 5th Annual Anthem Awards for its Castellanos Elementary: Community Schoolyard project in the Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles.
“Castellanos Elementary’s schoolyard is a testament to what communities can accomplish when students, educators, and neighbors collaborate to shape their own environment,” said Danielle Denk, Senior Director, Community Schoolyards Initiative at Trust for Public Land. “Schoolyards can be more than play spaces – they can reduce extreme heat, improve health and academic performance, and serve as vital community parks after school hours. Trust for Public Land is honored to receive this Anthem Award recognition and remain committed to greening more LA schoolyards by 2028 and powering this movement across the nation.”
Castellanos Elementary Community Schoolyard is the flagship project of TPL’s “28×28” Initiative , which aims to green 28 Los Angeles schoolyards by the 2028 Olympics. The formerly asphalt-dominated campus was transformed by TPL and community partners through a student-led co-design process. The space is now a vibrant green space and neighborhood hub, bringing equitable outdoor access, climate resilience, and community connection to a historically under-resourced area.
The Anthem Awards celebrate purpose and mission-driven work from individuals, companies, and nonprofits worldwide. Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, an esteemed panel of leaders across social impact, civic innovation, and creative industries. Recognition in the Sustainability, Environment & Climate: Community Space category honors organizations and work that focus on sustainability, climate and environmental issues including concerns for environmental conservation and the improvement of the state of the environment and all living things.
The Castellanos schoolyard now provides 550 students and 16,000 residents in the Pico Union neighborhood with a safe, accessible outdoor space. Its climate-resilient design features such as bioswales, native trees, and shrubs have reduced student heat exposure by 36°F. The project has also spurred a 154% increase in student physical activity while fostering community engagement through programs like the Castellanos Jaguars Explore The Outdoors initiative.
As the flagship project of the 28×28 Initiative has secured an additional $36 million in support from private and public funders to green 10 more Los Angeles schoolyards, with a goal of benefiting more than 1.5 million residents by the 2028 Olympics. Join us as we work to bring climate-smart, community-designed green spaces to every Los Angeles neighborhood. Learn more at tpl.org.
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About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 109.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
About The Anthem Awards
Founded in 2021 by The Webby Awards, the Anthem Awards honor purpose-driven work from individuals, companies, and organizations worldwide. Recognizing projects across seven core causes, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging; Education, Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate, the awards celebrate meaningful progress and innovation. This year’s sponsors and partners include AARP, The Bloom, The Social Innovation Summit, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, and TheFutureParty. Founding partners include the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.
