Trust for Public Land and Partners Celebrate Groundbreaking of Whittier Community Schoolyard in Scranton
SCRANTON, Pa. — Trust for Public Land, alongside Valley in Motion, the City of Scranton, and the Scranton School District, today celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Community Schoolyard at John G. Whittier Elementary School — the second community schoolyard project in Scranton and part of a growing citywide effort to expand equitable access to parks and outdoor spaces.
Designed in partnership with students, staff, and community members at Whittier Elementary School, the transformed schoolyard will include a multi-purpose turf field, running and walking track, picnic tables and benches, inclusive play equipment, new trees and native perennials, a rain garden, outdoor classroom, and green stormwater infrastructure.
When school is not in session, the schoolyard will remain open as a community space for approximately 4,100 residents living within a 10-minute walk of campus.
“In communities across the country, schoolyards are becoming essential neighborhood parks that support both people and the environment,” said Elizabeth Class-Maldonado, Pennsylvania State Director for Trust for Public Land. “The Whittier Community Schoolyard will provide students and families with a greener, healthier place to play, learn, and gather while helping Scranton better manage stormwater, reduce heat, and strengthen climate resilience.”
The Whittier project was shaped through a participatory design process led by students, who helped reimagine the underutilized lot into a greener, more welcoming space for the entire neighborhood. Throughout the design process, students learned about rain gardens, trees, and climate-smart infrastructure that can help prevent flooding and protect nearby waterways including Roaring Brook and the Lackawanna River within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
“By giving students a voice in how they learn and play, we are transforming schoolyards and neighborhoods across Scranton,” said Mayor Paige Cognetti. “I’m excited to see this playground, designed by Whittier students, come to life and add a new destination for play here in South Side. Thank you to our partners from the Scranton School District, Trust for Public Land, and Valley In Motion for encouraging our kids to dream, design, and build amazing new schoolyards across Scranton.”
“Every child deserves the chance to run, play, explore, and simply be a kid,” said Erin Keating, Ed.D., Superintendent Scranton School District. “Partnerships with organizations like Trust for Public Land and Valley In Motion are helping us reimagine schoolyards as places of joy, wellness, and community connection. This is about far more than playgrounds. It is about investing in the overall well-being of our students and neighborhoods for generations to come.”
The groundbreaking builds on momentum from Scranton’s first completed Community Schoolyard at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, which officially opened in 2025. The Kennedy schoolyard transformation created a new green community space featuring ADA-accessible play equipment with sensory panels and ramps, a running track, basketball court, picnic tables, newly planted trees and gardens, and an outdoor classroom. The site now provides a quality outdoor space within a 10-minute walk for approximately 2,500 residents.
“We appreciate the partnerships needed to bring better park areas to our communities. Our kids deserve high-quality play spaces,” said Gus Fahey, President, Valley In Motion.
Trust for Public Land identified the Scranton School District as one of the districts nationwide that would benefit most from community schoolyard investments using a national prioritization tool evaluating water quality, urban heat, physical activity levels, mental health, and social and demographic data. Scranton is also part of the inaugural cohort of cities participating in Trust for Public Land’s 10-Minute Walk® Park Equity Accelerator, which helps cities address long-standing barriers to outdoor equity.
The project is made possible through generous support from:
- The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
- Scranton Area Community Foundation
- The Robert H. Spitz Foundation
- PPL Electric Utilities
- Hawk Family Foundation
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- EPA Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program
- City of Scranton American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021
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 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit www.tpl.org
