Chicago Completes Five New Green Schoolyards

- The Space to Grow initiative is a public-private partnership co-managed by two nonprofits, Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands. Capital funding and expertise are provided by Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). - Before the five most recent additions, the program had already revitalized 34 schoolyards since 2014, creating a collective capacity to capture 6.5 million gallons of rainwater per storm event. - In March 2024, the MWRD Board of Commissioners approved an additional $15.9 million to continue and expand the program. - Schools are selected for the program based on an equity-focused process that prioritizes low-income communities with persistent flooding issues, a lack of green space, and high childhood obesity rates. - A key component of the initiative is a participatory design process where students, parents, school staff, and community members provide input to shape the vision for their new schoolyard. - The program provides professional development to equip teachers with the knowledge to use the new outdoor spaces for lessons in environmental science, nutrition, and physical activity. - Four more schools are slated for transformation in 2026, which will include the program's first-ever high school project at Washington High School on the East Side. - The success of the Chicago model has prompted the MWRD to seek federal funding to launch a similar pilot program for schoolyards in suburban communities, including Cicero, Burnham, Franklin Park, and Summit.