🌱 Celebrating National School Grounds Week 🎒

June 13–17, 2025

Each year during National School Grounds Week, we recognize how thoughtfully designed modern schoolyards can support student wellness, environmental education, and community life. This celebration spotlights school grounds designers, groundskeepers, educators, and builders who transform outdoor spaces into vibrant centers of learning and play. As part of this celebration, we would like to highlight one of our recent schoolyard projects. 

🏫 Featured Project: Ronald Brown Elementary Schoolyard

In honor of this special week, we’re proud to spotlight the Ronald Brown “Space to Grow” project—a transformative initiative located on Chicago’s Southside.

Project Overview

The Ronald Brown Space to Grow project was designed to enhance urban space on the Southside of Chicago, with a focus on sustainability and community engagement. Key elements of the project include:

  • Rainwater retention systems: rain gardens and detention systems designed to better manage stormwater

  • New playground: inclusive play structures that encourage movement and socialization

  • Natural outdoor classroom: an immersive learning space directly in the landscape

  • Artificial turf sports field: a versatile field suitable for both soccer and football

This initiative aims to support stormwater management, create engaging educational and recreational experiences, and build a vibrant space where school and community intersect.

Kimberly Eulingbourgh, CPS Project Manager, expressed her appreciation:

“We truly appreciate the entire AllBry team for bringing our vision to life. Your company’s professionalism, quality, and expertise made this process much easier for us.”

This sentiment reflects the strength of collaboration between Chicago Public Schools, MWRD, and All-Bry.

Context: The “Space to Grow” Partnership

“Space to Grow” is a nationally recognized program led by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) in partnership with CPS, Chicago Department of Water Management (CDWM), Healthy Schools Campaign, and Openlands. Since its launch in 2014, the initiative has revitalized over 34 Chicago schoolyards, using green infrastructure to manage stormwater and enrich student and community experiences

In March 2024, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Great Chicago (MWRD) approved an additional $15.9 million to expand the program. Collectively, the schoolyards can now capture 6.5 million gallons of stormwater per rain event—equivalent to approximately 10 Olympic-size pools at once

Why It Matters

The impact of projects like Ronald Brown’s reach far beyond the school walls:

  • Flood resilience: rain gardens and detention systems capture stormwater, easing the pressure on combined sewer systems

  • Wellness & learning: play areas, fields, and outdoor classrooms offer daily opportunities for movement, collaboration, and exploration

  • Community connection: These schoolyards serve as gathering places where families and residents can spend time together.

In the Press: 

Learn more about this amazing project and others by viewing some of the local press surrounding it.

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-program-school-playgrounds-capture-stormwater-prevent-floods/

Space to Grow – $1.5 million Green Infrastructure Transforms Chicago Schoolyard

https://x.com/ChiPubSchools/status/1924558866085511392