Schools' Most Untapped Resource

THE POLITICS OF EQUITY The gold standard for schoolyards in the United States, especially in urban areas, is a play structure grounded in cement or rubber, encircled by a fence to keep students on one side and community members on the other. A growing body of research indicates that having access to green space at school has a direct impact on student achievement. Marcella Raney and Bevin Ashenmiller, both professors at Occidental College and members of Green Schoolyards America's collaborating research team, examine which schoolyard design features decrease surface temperature and pollution levels; for example, schoolyards covered with soil, rather than cement, absorb rainwater and thus help keep school grounds cooler while improving the watershed. Danks is also forging partnerships with the Trust for Public Land and school districts like Oakland Unified to assist them in framing their school grounds as land that can help mitigate the impact of global warming and thus qualify for climate-related funds.