Trust for Public Land and KABOOM! Celebrate New Green Schoolyard with 400 Students at Bridges Academy in East Oakland

Today, Trust For Public Land (TPL), in partnership with Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), California State Parks, Bridges Academy, and KABOOM! hosted an opening celebration for a new green schoolyard. This project is part of the Oakland Living Schoolyards Initiative converting asphalt playgrounds into vibrant, nature-filled green spaces.

Guillermo Rodriguez, Trust For Public Land's California State Director and Vice President - Pacific Region shared, "Bridges Academy is the latest schoolyard transformation in our Oakland Living Schoolyards Initiative, and we couldn't be more excited to make today's announcement with our partners at OUSD, KABOOM!, CNRA, and the California Dept. of Parks and Recreation. This schoolyard is a green oasis away from the pollution and heat that plague students and 10,000-plus residents within a 10-minute walk from Bridges daily. This living schoolyard will help capture stormwater, keeping pollutants out of East Oakland's waterways in the fall and winter, while also mitigating the effects of extreme heat."

This schoolyard was transformed from a paved and sparsely shaded space into a vibrant park-like setting for the school community. The yard now features a nature play area, outdoor classroom, basketball court, turf play field with running track, new play structure, renovated vegetable garden, murals, seating, shade structures, shade and fruit trees, native plants, and drinking fountains.

"The fact that just a few short months ago this green schoolyard full of life was a simple expanse of asphalt is remarkable," said John Sasaki, OUSD Director of Communications. "Through the Oakland Living Schoolyards Initiative we have removed tens of thousands of square feet of asphalt, planted more than 250 trees, and improved the lives of 1,900 Oakland kids, and the students who will follow in their footsteps."

The Oakland Living Schoolyards Initiative is a TPL-OUSD collaboration aimed at converting schoolyards in Oakland's underserved communities into thriving green spaces. In partnership with Green Schoolyards America and OUSD, the Initiative serves communities by transforming asphalt-covered schoolyards into healthy and inspiring green spaces where children are able to play and explore and adults can enjoy the benefits of nature.

The new Bridges Academy schoolyard was supported by the California State Parks Prop. 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program, California Natural Resources Agency Urban Greening Grant Program, and private sources, including CSAA Insurance Group, Hellman Foundation, The Joseph & Vera Long Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, The PG&E Corporation Foundation, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, Freestone Capital Management, Oceankind, U.S. Bank, and Trust for Public Land's California Advisory Board.

"When partners unite and work alongside communities to create joyful playspaces for kids, they are better able to learn, and grow, and just be kids," said Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!. "The new playground and renovated community garden for students in Oakland will allow kids to experience the countless academic, physical, and mental health benefits that green spaces provide, and help them reach their greatest potential."

Kids and community members led the creation of the playground, from design to installation beginning with students submitting drawings of their dream play spaces this past April. KABOOM! Integrated those drawings in design and build of a new playground featuring shade, a multi-sport court, schoolyard mural work, playable ground art, a garden renovation, and more. Growing Together, a local community-based organization committed to local health and sustainability will provide hands-on learning and stewardship opportunities for the school community while supplementing maintenance to ensure success and sustainability of the schoolyard's living features.

In addition to Bridges Academy Green Schoolyard Project, TPL has completed green schoolyard projects at OUSD's International Community School and Think College Now which are co-located on the César E. Chávez Campus, Markham Elementary, and Melrose Leadership Academy as part of the Oakland Living Schoolyards Initiative. To fund the initiative, TPL was instrumental in helping OUSD secure $7.8 million from state grants in 2023 to fund the planning and implementation of green schoolyards at 16 campuses across OUSD. TPL continues to work on green schoolyard projects across California as part of the Governor's Extreme Heat Action Plan, and nationally with school districts and communities across the U.S.

About Trust for Public Land

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,420 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $94 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.