Norwood Elementary Greening Project

El Monte | California

What We’re Doing
Building a park with community at its core.

Our Goal
Create green space where it’s needed most.

Support Our Work in California

A woman holding a child's hand in a park.

Norwood by the Numbers

Approx. 6

acres of green space

6,900

people live within a 10-minute walk

other green spaces within a half mile radius

Community and Green Space at the Heart of El Monte

Access to green space is essential to our health and well-being, but for residents of El Monte, California, parks can be hard to come by. The City of El Monte only has 0.4 park acres—or just over half the size of a standard tennis court—for every 1,000 residents, meaning there’s not enough room for people to play, exercise, and connect to the outdoors.

But with the help of our partners at El Monte City School District (EMCSD), Active San Gabriel Valley (ActiveSGV), and the local community, we’re revamping a former elementary schoolyard into a green oasis for everyone to enjoy.

Norwood Elementary School has been closed since 2010, leaving its 6-acre site nearly inaccessible to the public. The lot has two large softball fields that are utilized for seasonal games, but otherwise it’s closed and used as school district storage. There are also no other green spaces within a half-mile radius of the school.

Working hand-in-hand with residents, we’re building a space that meets the needs of the entire neighborhood, including updated softball fields, new walkways, a playground, trees, gardens, and a stormwater filtration system. Thanks to our partners, community members, and funding from the Los Angeles County Safe Clean Water Program, the Norwood Elementary Greening Project will connect 6,900 residents to the benefits of awesome green space.

About This Project

Our 28x28 Initiative

Norwood is just one school included in 28×28, a TPL lead initiative to leverage the funding and influence coming to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics, to bring new and critical green spaces to schools across the county.

The Norwood Elementary Greening Project emerged from the collaborative efforts of the Link Initiative, which played a pivotal role in identifying community priorities and fostering meaningful engagement.

The Link Advocates, Governments, Families, and Parks initiative (Link) aims to build healthier communities for children and families by engaging residents, advocates, and government partners in a community-driven planning process that secures local infrastructure funding.
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Get in Touch With Our California Team

Los Angeles Office

135 West Green Street
2nd Floor
Pasadena, CA, 91105
(323) 223-0441
losangeles@tpl.org

Sacramento Office

1107 9th Street
Suite 1050
Sacramento, CA, 95814
(916) 557-1673
sacramento@tpl.org

San Francisco Office

23 Geary Street
Suite 1000
San Francisco, CA, 94108
(415) 495-4014
sanfrancisco@tpl.org

Guillermo Rodriguez

Vice President Pacific Region, California State Director

415-800-5267
california@tpl.org