Use in Out-of-School Time

Green schoolyards aren’t just for use during the school day; they are used by the wider community during non-school hours. Potential and various options for use are listed here.

22 Resources

This toolkit shares lessons learned from California schools with successful joint use agreements, offering guidelines and templates for other communities seeking to increase access to school recreational facilities.

  • Robert S. Ogilvie
  • Jason Zimmerman
ChangeLab Solutions September 2020
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This webinar discusses the essential role of green schoolyards in a post-COVID area. With play structures being closed due to COVID-19, the public access of green schoolyards is even more critical.

  • Barbara Deutsch, Executive Director, Landscape Architecture Foundation
  • Benita Hussein or Harris Solomon, Trust for Public Land, 10 Minute Walk Campaign
  • Anne, Darien or Melody, Austin Green School Parks
June 2020
Watch Recording

This collaboration between Clean Water Partnership (CWP) and Prince George’s County Public Schools helps meet federal stormwater standards and fosters new generations of water quality protectors.

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Space to Grow Chicago has a unique partnership, community engagement and stewardship model for green schoolyards.

Space to Grow January 2020
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Park walk ability scores and green infrastructure are used as programmatic and funding strategies for schoolyard transformation.

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Baltimore City Public Schools has a robust and comprehensive approach to its green schools initiative that supports the health and well-being of students, families and the community.

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This case study narrates the evolution of green schoolyards in San Francisco, and their supporting programming including Americorps-funded educators at many schools.

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William Cramp Community School (K-5) serves as a prototype for greening schoolyards in Philadelphia.

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Get2Green supports county-wide efforts to engage Pre-K-12 students in environmental stewardship, incorporate sustainability in the classroom, schoolyard greening throughout the district.

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A rural green schoolyards program, Learning Landscapes takes advantage of preserved adjacent property and develops school grounds with trails, outdoor classroom areas and native plantings

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Out Teach provides professional development, mentoring and modeling for schools with outdoor classrooms. Their program is highly successful and improves teacher and student motivation.

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This case study highlights the program and funding that has allowed all schools in Santa Cruz, CA to have garden-based education as part of its district learning goals.

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Over the past 30 years, SPARK has built more than 200 community parks in 17 school districts in Harris County, Texas, including neighborhoods where no parks existed.

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Federal funds support the development of community learning centers for academic enrichment during non-school hours.

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Data to help state decision makers incentivize and promote shared used agreements in schools to grow healthier kids and communities.

  • American Heart Association
Voices for Healthy Kids March 2017
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This report focuses on the potential benefits and unintended consequences of state policies specifically focused on Out-of-School-Time (OST) programs.

  • Jean Wiecha, PhD
  • Kristen Capogrossi, PhD
National Park and Recreation Association November 2016
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Based on a decade of data, this website documents the benefits associated with participation in and public support for afterschool programs.

Afterschool Alliance August 2016
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This guide provides information, examples and considerations for working with public agencies and developing partnerships with public schools to develop school gardens.

  • Ben Winig
  • Heather Wooten
ChangeLab Solutions January 2013
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