A new California state resolution establishes an annual Living Schoolyard Month in May to encourage school districts to design green spaces on school grounds and teach academic curricula outdoors. This May will be the first celebration, where schools will bring classes outside and hold community events to honor outdoor learning environments. The resolution expands outdoor education beyond gardening to connect schoolyard greening to child development, health, and community life.

1. The movement to enrich outdoor learning environments
on school grounds and connect children with nature took
an important leap forward with the adoption of a new
California state resolution that encourages school districts
to design and construct schoolyard green spaces and use
them to teach academic curricula outdoors. Authored by
Assemblymember Phil Ting of San Francisco (D), the Living
Schoolyard Month Resolution (ACR-128), adopted on June
16, 2014, establishes an annual, statewide celebration of
school grounds to be held each year in May. This May will
be the first annual event for schools around the state.
What is Living Schoolyard Month?
California schools will be participating in the first Living
Schoolyard Month by bringing more of their academic classes
outside for hands-on lessons during the month of May, and
establishing practices that they can use throughout the year.
Many schools and other organizations across the state are
also holding community celebrations, schoolyard work parties
and gardening classes in honor of this first annual event.
The new Living Schoolyard Month resolution is an important
milestone in California’s approach to promoting outdoor
green spaces for all children in K-12 public schools and for the
state’s thriving green schoolyard movement. Building on the
success of previous school garden programs, it expands the
depth and breadth of outdoor education beyond horticulture
and nutrition to connect schoolyard greening to the health of
urban ecosystems, child development needs, and the quality
of life for students and their local communities.
Livingschoolyardsarerichenvironmentsthatconnectnature
and environmental sustainability with place-based learning,
hands-on curricula and imaginative play, while building
community. Living schoolyards can encompass a variety of
school greening efforts outdoors, including everything from
vegetable gardens to stormwater management or renewable
energy demonstrations.
How can you get involved?
• Plan a project to make your schoolyard greener or assist
a local school by volunteering on a schoolyard work day
• Organize events to celebrate and use your school’s
existing green space
• Spread the word about Living Schoolyard Month
• Recommend that your city government includes
schoolyard ecology as a component of their green city
planning efforts
• Encourage your school district to support ecological
schoolyards and outdoor classrooms that improve
children’s learning and play environments and enhance
neighborhood ecology
• Try some new things outside with PreK-12 students by
downloading a free copy of the 2015 Living Schoolyard
Month Activity Guide, which includes schoolyard
activity ideas contributed by 40+ organizations.
Download it here:www.greenschoolyardsamerica.org
• Write about your May celebrations of Living
Schoolyard Month and share them with us at:
info@greenschoolyardsamerica.org
• Join California’s statewide Living Schoolyard Network
by contacting Sharon Danks (Green Schoolyards
America, sharon@greenschoolyardsamerica.org) or
Teresa Lees (CREEC, teresa@creec.org)
May is Living Schoolyard Month!
green schoolyards america
greenschoolyardsamerica.org
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