PHILADELPHIA, PA — Today, Mayor Jim Kenney and School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite joined the Fairhill community to celebrate the opening of a new green playground at the William Cramp Elementary School in North Philadelphia.
The new schoolyard is the latest in a city-wide public/private partnership between the School District of Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia, and national non-profit The Trust for Public Land to provide community green spaces in neighborhoods lacking high-quality outdoor places to play. The work advances the Kenney administration’s vision to create a more equitable citywide network of parks and community spaces.
“This playground will not only provide enhanced learning opportunities but also space for the entire community to use” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “It will serve as an example of how the community schools model can have a positive and lasting impact in our underserved neighborhoods. This isn’t just a great day for Cramp Elementary School but for all of Kensington.”
The new schoolyard was designed by students at William Cramp Elementary, guided by The Trust for Public Land’s Parks for People-Philadelphia program. The design process began with 40 third- and fourth-graders surveying the existing schoolyard and polling fellow students on potential improvements, and included lessons on stormwater management and green infrastructure by the Philadelphia Water Department. Previously a bare asphalt surface, the new schoolyard now includes play equipment, an artificial turf field, a running track, a handball wall, painted games, an outdoor classroom, a music area with xylophone and bongos, and plenty of shaded trees and greenery.
In addition to providing new play opportunities for students and the local community, the schoolyard also includes a science station – Philadelphia’s first – which will allow the school to monitor meteorological data and air quality information. Bird-nesting boxes and other habitat improvements are equipped with nature cameras, allowing the school to keep track of wildlife in their urban green space. The garden habitat also captures rainwater, helping to meet the Philadelphia Water Department’s Green City, Clean Waters goals, creating a lush, green backdrop. There will be new learning opportunities for the school’s 540 students and the schoolyard will be open to the community after school hours. This will provide close access to a new public green space for more than 15,000 people who live within a 10-minute walk.
“Earlier this week, The School District of Philadelphia unveiled GreenFutures, our plan to create more sustainable schools throughout the city,” said Superintendent William R. Hite. “The green schoolyard at William Cramp School is one example of how we are working to improve every child’s health and well-being, and improve our environment.”
The schoolyard’s transformation is part of a citywide effort to create public green spaces in neighborhoods where they are needed most. In partnership with the School District, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and the Philadelphia Water Department, The Trust for Public Land is overseeing the renovation and development of additional green play spaces at 10 other schoolyards and city recreation centers in neighborhoods lacking green community spaces. Over the next five years, the City’s partnership with The Trust for Public Land will include as many as 30 green schoolyards and recreation centers.
“Philadelphia’s schoolyards and recreation centers are often the natural gathering places for kids and families in our neighborhoods, so they are the ideal place to invest city resources to create a healthy community,” said Anthony Cucchi, The Trust for Public Land’s Pennsylvania State Director. “Cramp School’s green spaces are not only improving the neighborhood, but also providing an outdoor laboratory for kids to learn about the natural world.”
As a partner in the initiative, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is converting underutilized recreation centers into updated spaces with recreational opportunities and rain gardens and other improvements designed to capture stormwater. Several green recreation centers projects are either underway will begin construction in the next few months.
” I want to thank Mayor Kenney for his commitment to providing access to green spaces for all communities as well as his drive to provide high-quality recreation spaces to young people in every neighborhood” Said Commisisoner Ott Lovell “I also want to thank the third and fourth graders from the William Cramp School that helped design this new school yard by participating in the design process for the this new school yard. I am sure that they feel a great sense of pride for what they helped create.”
“Philadelphia Water is proud to be a part of this partnership to green our schoolyards and create better play spaces for Philadelphia’s youth,” said Deputy Water Commissioner Chris Crockett. “As a result of this project the Delaware River will become a little cleaner and a little healthier. As we complete these projects across the City, we are ensuring the long-term health of our local waterways.”
The $30+ million public-private partnership is funded by a combination of city, state, and school district sources, leveraged by private funding being raised by The Trust for Public Land. Philanthropic support for the program began with a leadership grant from The William Penn Foundation and a challenge grant from The Otto Haas Charitable Trust at the direction of Janet and John Haas. Other support comes from the Wells Fargo Foundation, the McLean Contributionship, the Vert Charitable Trust, and many other donors. The Trust for Public Land continues to lead an ongoing fundraising campaign to support the development of new sites, including support for community participation in the design process, and seed funding for stewardship and programming at each completed site.
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About The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live within a ten-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.
About The School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia is the largest school district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the eighth-largest public school system in the United States. Enrollment includes more than 200,000 students in public, charter and alternative schools, and more than 17,250 employees. Under the leadership of Superintendent William R. Hite, the vision of the School District is to deliver on the right of every child in Philadelphia to an excellent public school education and ensure all children graduate from high school ready to succeed. The School District’s strategic mission, outlined in Action Plan 3.0, focuses on grade-level literacy, quality instruction and leadership, college- and career-readiness and financial stability. For more information about the School District, visit www.philasd.org.
About Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation advances the prosperity of the city and the progress of her people through intentional and sustained stewardship of public land and waterways as well as through safe, stimulating recreation, environmental and cultural centers. PPR helps Philadelphia’s children and other residents grow by connecting them to the natural world, to each other, and to fun, physical and social opportunities. For more information, find Philadelphia Parks & Recreation online at www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation.
CONTACT:
Anthony Cucchi, The Trust for Public Land, 917-797-3859, anthony.cucchi@tpl.org
Raven Hill, School District of Philadelphia, 215-400-5846, rhill3@philasd.org
Jennifer Crandall, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, 215-683-3586, Jennifer.Crandall@phila.gov