Green Schoolyard at Froebel Literacy Academy
- Published on Thursday December 28th, 2023
Author: OneSTL Communications Team
Currently in the design phase, Froebel Literacy Academy will host the first official Green Schoolyard, in order to improve stormwater management and access to nature for students. (Photo credit: St. Louis Public Schools)
There is increasing acceptance that nature-based experiences are vital to emboldening the shared generational response needed to limit negative changes to our biosphere. This motivation for fostering green spaces can be balanced against the individual health benefits that come from active minds and bodies. In the urban core, naturalizing a school’s outdoor play space is an opportunity that comes with many potential benefits.
The Nature Conservancy, Missouri Department of Conservation, and St Louis Public Schools, along with other local partners such as Dutchtown South Community Corporation, have collaborated to launch a pilot program to reinvent outdoor play spaces. East-West Gateway assisted with data collection and analysis for the Green Schoolyard prioritization and expansion plan. The first official Green Schoolyard in the St. Louis area will be at Froebel Literacy Academy in the Gravois Park neighborhood. There is a nationwide movement to reduce impervious surfaces and replace it with a more stimulating play space. This work will not be limited to Froebel Academy, but those students will be the first to benefit from this regional collaboration, made possible by funding provided by the Metropolitan Sewer District, TNC, MDC, SLPS, and SLPS Foundation. The project at Froebel Academy is currently in the design phase. For additional information about the project, click here.
