Celebrating Five New Space to Grow Schoolyards
December 02, 2025 | Written By: Healthy Schools Campaign
Space to Grow partners are thrilled to announce the opening of five new schoolyards on Chicago’s South Side:
Myra Bradwell School of Excellence (South Shore)
James Farmer, Jr. Elementary School (Bronzeville)
Irvin C. Mollison IB World School (Bronzeville)
William H. Ryder Math & Science Specialty School (Auburn Gresham)
Emmett Till Fine & Performing Arts School (West Woodlawn)
Last month, partners joined these dynamic school communities to celebrate the official openings of these new climate-resilient spaces. Designed with green stormwater infrastructure to help manage stormwater right where it falls, each schoolyard helps address neighborhood flooding while expanding access to safe, vibrant outdoor spaces for students, staff, families and community members. Beyond flooding, the schoolyards are also designed to address heat by expanding vegetation and tree canopies to enhance cooling and provide additional shade.
Each school community—including students, staff, parents, caregivers and neighbors—played a central role in shaping their schoolyard transformations. Their visions inspired unique features such as:
- A dedicated nature and musical play area designed for Ryder’s diverse learning community.
- Playground art bringing Farmer’s motto, “Rise to Soar,” to life.
- A revitalized courtyard at Mollison featuring an outdoor classroom and edible gardens.
- A highly requested outdoor performance space at Bradwell.
- A large track and fitness equipment for the entire Till community to enjoy.
“These Space to Grow schoolyards reflect the hopes of the intergenerational communities they serve – the joys and aspirations of the children and the dedication and care of families, educators and residents,” says Jennifer Tani, President + CEO at Healthy Schools Campaign.
Space to Grow is an innovative partnership co-founded by Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands to transform schoolyards into places to play, learn and connect with nature while helping neighborhoods become more resilient to flooding. These schoolyards are made possible through leadership and capital funding from Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management, the Chicago Department of Environment, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
With these openings, Space to Grow now reaches 41 schools and collectively, these schoolyards can capture nearly 8.8 million gallons of stormwater in a given time, helping protect homes and streets from flooding during Chicago’s biggest storms. This milestone comes in the same year the program celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
We are so grateful to the partners and school communities whose ideas, energy and collaboration shaped these schoolyards. We cannot wait to see students and neighbors enjoying their new schoolyards, and the activation and stewardship to come. Take a look at photos from the celebrations below.
