Connecting COVID-related Outdoor Learning with Long-term School Ground Greening Goals

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Since June 2020, the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative has been hosting a free, online, public discussion forum that is a "Community of Practice" for schools and school districts around the country that are interested in using outdoor spaces for their classes and programs, as a way to reduce the risk of virus transmission when they reopen for in-person learning. Our Community of Practice is meeting every other Tuesday in 2021. Please visit our website to join us for the next meeting: https://bit.ly/OLI-Comm-of-Practice

During Meeting #22 on March 16, 2021, our Community of Practice co-host, Sharon Danks, was our guest speaker. Sharon is the CEO and Founder of the nonprofit, Green Schoolyards America, based in Berkeley, California. Green Schoolyards America seeks to transform asphalt-covered
school grounds into park-like green spaces that improve
children’s well-being, learning, and play while contributing to the
ecological health and resilience of cities.
They are working to change the norm for school ground design, use, and
management so that all children will have access to the natural world
in the places they already visit on a daily basis.

Sharon began this presentation with an overview of the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative's work over the past year, and the free online resources the Initiative has developed. Next, she discussed the potential for current interest in outdoor learning to continue to expand after the pandemic. She showed vibrant slides with examples from around the world where nature-rich living schoolyards are creating wonderful environments for children that also improve local wildlife habitat, absorb rainfall to improve the watershed, and add shady tree canopies to cool urban heat islands (and children!) on the playground and build climate resilience at school. Danks also spoke about Green Schoolyards America's work to help school districts create city-wide "living schoolyard" programs.

GUEST SPEAKER:

- Sharon Danks, CEO and Founder, Green Schoolyards America
https://www.greenschoolyards.org/


MEETING HOSTS:
National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative

- Sharon Danks, Green Schoolyards America
- Andra Yeghoian, San Mateo County Office of Education


FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE:

National Outdoor Learning Library
National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative
https://bit.ly/COVID-OutdoorLearning​

Community of Practice for Schools and Districts Moving Learning Outside
https://www.greenschoolyards.org/community-of-practice
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