Boston Schoolyard Initiative

ASLA 2003 Community Service Award

Boston Schoolyard Initiative, Boston, MA
Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative and The City of Boston
Clients: Boston Public Schools/Neighborhoods

The Boston Schoolyard Initiative (BSI) is a model for promoting community-driven sustainable development, environmental stewardship, responsible public policy, and outdoor experiential education in the Boston Public Schools. This public/private partnership is funded by the City of Boston and local foundations and is revitalizing Boston’s underutilized schoolyards using an inclusive community design process aimed at uniting school and neighborhood, building constituency groups capable of sustaining capital improvements and ongoing programming. The 250 acres of visible open space that have been revitalized are virtually unrecognizable from their earlier condition. Today, BSI is in its eighth year of transforming these school grounds into active centers for academic learning, creative play, and community use.

	Artists and youth work hand-in-hand to create public art pieces. This gate and fence was designed by students and fabricated by the artist. (Photo by: Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative)

	The Otis Elementary School in East Boston. (Photo by: Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative)

	The nature trail at the Murphy Elementary School illustrates that Improvements to school grounds are designed to provide maximum accessibility and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Photo by: Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative)