Trust for Public Land Celebrates Castellanos Elementary Community Schoolyard as Anthem Awards Finalist
San Francisco, CA — Trust for Public Land (TPL) is proud to announce that the Castellanos Elementary Community Schoolyard project in Los Angeles, California has been named a finalist in the 5th annual Anthem Awards.
The Anthem Awards recognize purpose-driven work from individuals, companies, and organizations worldwide. Selected from over 2,000 submissions spanning 42 countries, the Castellanos Elementary project has been recognized as a finalist in the Community Engagement category for Sustainability, Environment, and Climate.
This transformative project is the first milestone in TPL’s ambitious “28×28” Initiative to green 28 schoolyards in Los Angeles by the 2028 Olympics. With $2 million in funding secured by TPL, Castellanos Elementary was transformed from an asphalt-heavy campus into a vibrant green space and climate-resilient community hub. Through a student-led design process, the schoolyard was reimagined into a thriving park, providing critical access to the outdoors in a historically under-resourced neighborhood.
“We’re honored that the Castellanos Elementary Community Schoolyard has been recognized as a finalist for the Anthem Awards,” said Nola Eaglin Talmage at Trust for Public Land, TPL’s Los Angeles Director Parks for People. “We believe access to green space is a fundamental right, yet so many communities lack this essential resource. This recognition highlights the incredible power of community collaboration and innovative design, reinforcing our mission to green 28 schoolyards across Los Angeles by 2028.”
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.
Finalists are eligible for the Community Voice Awards, presented to projects with the most public votes. Supporters can celebrate TPL’s work online at celebrate.anthemawards.com through Thursday, October 30. Winners for each Anthem Award category will be announced on November 18, 2025.
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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 $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 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.
