Chicago Schools Launch Outdoor Learning Spaces
Five Chicago Public Schools (CPS) just completed new “Space to Grow™” schoolyards, designed for outdoor learning and play. The spaces are built to support social development and executive function practice like planning and self-regulation while also managing stormwater.
The "Space to Grow" program is a partnership between Healthy Schools Campaign, Openlands, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the Chicago Department of Water Management, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). This collaboration transforms asphalt schoolyards into vibrant green spaces, prioritizing schools in low-income communities that face challenges with basement flooding and have limited access to parks. Since its inception in 2014, the program has renovated 41 schoolyards across the city. These projects provide vital areas for outdoor learning, physical education, and unstructured play. The selection process for schools considers factors like the degree of local flooding, the amount of impervious surface on the school grounds, and equity. A primary function of these redesigned schoolyards is significant stormwater management. By replacing asphalt with permeable pavers, turf fields with underground storage, and rain gardens, the spaces are designed to absorb large amounts of rainwater. Collectively, the 41 completed schoolyards can capture nearly 8.8 million gallons of stormwater per rain event, reducing the burden on the city's combined sewer system and mitigating neighborhood flooding. The design of each schoolyard is a collaborative process involving students, parents, school staff, and community members to ensure the final space meets local needs. Features often include turf fields, jogging tracks, play equipment for various ages, outdoor classrooms, and edible gardens. These elements are intended to support physical activity, learning, and community engagement. In March 2024, the MWRD Board of Commissioners approved an additional $15.9 million to continue the program through 2026. Future plans include transforming four more schoolyards in 2026, one of which will be the program's first high school, Washington High School. Upon completion of these, over 10% of all neighborhood elementary schools in Chicago will feature a Space to Grow schoolyard.
