Renewing the National Call for Green Schoolyards

February 23, 2026

For more than a decade, Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) has worked alongside partners at Openlands, Chicago Public Schools, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the Chicago Department of Water Management and, more recently, the Chicago Department of Environment, to support schoolyards that promote children’s health, learning and community well-being. Space to Grow, Chicago’s green schoolyards program, which has 41 schoolyards and counting, has helped transform school grounds into green, multi-benefit spaces that manage stormwater, support outdoor learning and provide neighborhood access to nature in communities disproportionately affected by flooding and a lack of green space.

This work contributes to a broader national movement. A decade ago HSC and Openlands co-convened leaders from across the country in Chicago to share research, practice and policy ideas that could advance green schoolyards nationwide. That summit strengthened collaboration across sectors and laid groundwork for continued partnership. Those conversations also helped inform the establishment of the Green Schoolyards Action Agenda (GSAA), a national call to expand equitable access to green schoolyards. The agenda grew out of the summit and ongoing cross-sector collaboration and research, reflecting a shared vision that communities across the U.S. should invest in and expand access to green schoolyards to support children’s health and well-being.

The Space to Grow schoolyards at Bradwell (left) and O’Keeffe (right) promote health, wellness and access to nature while managing stormwater and reducing heat impacts.

Now that call to action has been renewed and updated to meet evolving challenges and needs. Led by Children & Nature Network, with national partners and advisors from across health, education and climate fields, the updated action agenda builds on years of learning and implementation to advance policy, funding and practices that support equitable green schoolyards development. Healthy Schools Campaign served on the advisory committee for this update, contributing alongside partners to shape its direction. The refreshed agenda reflects expanded collaboration among hundreds of organizations, and highlights integrated approaches linking schoolyards to climate resilience, public health, shared community space and park access.

This moment underscores how local innovation and national collaboration reinforce one another. Schoolyards designed as vibrant and multifunctional spaces with areas for active play, outdoor classrooms, trees and nature-based features can support student health and wellbeing, community wellness, and environmental learning and advocacy, all while making communities more resilient to climate change. 

As the movement continues to grow, HSC remains committed to advancing this shared vision by connecting local implementation, research and national policy efforts that expand access to green schoolyards for all children. 

We’re proud to support the Green Schoolyards Action Agenda, a national effort to expand equitable access to nature-filled schoolyards that support learning, health, and climate resilience. We invite you to be part of the next chapter by signing on to the refreshed Green Schoolyards Action Agenda and helping grow this movement nationwide. Learn more and show your support by visiting greenschoolyardsactionagenda.org. 

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