Jennie Reed Elementary Community Schoolyard

Dip into your bank of core childhood memories for a moment… How many scenes involve trees, swings, slides, running freely, or playing outside with friends? Today, the average child spends less than 10 minutes a day playing outdoors, and access to safe places to play isn’t equal. Luckily, there’s a promising solution to park access hiding in plain sight — – schoolyards.

In Tacoma, Washington, Jennie Reed Elementary is a perfect example of how reimagining the standard sea of asphalt behind a school can create lasting opportunities for students, community members, and cities alike. Trust for Public Land, in collaboration with parents, teachers, students, community members, and local leaders, has transformed the schoolyard at Jennie Reed into a green-space for active play and learning for 450 students, while doubling as a close-to-home park after school hours for over 600 residents within a 10-minute walk.

“Our students live in the part of Tacoma with the highest concentration of concrete, so this new green space, track, and playground will provide an accessible way for our kids and neighbors to exercise,” said Jennie Reed Principal Abby Sloan. Backing up directly to Interstate 5 with just a concrete wall between the kids and cars, traffic noise and air pollution used to be hard to ignore. Now, with a green buffer of trees, the schoolyard offers much-needed relief from the road but also improved opportunities for recreation, outdoor learning, and physical activity.

There’s also a refreshed track, playground equipment, and gardening area that were designed with input from the students themselves. At Jennie Reed, this participatory process has given kids the chance to contribute to something lasting, fostering pride and ownership in their schoolyard. In a neighborhood where greenery is scarce, the addition of trees and permeable surfaces helps reduce heat, filter the air, reduce flooding, and provides a welcoming space for exercise and connection.

By partnering with TPL to transform schoolyards into shared public parks, Tacoma is not only addressing park equity but creating spaces that will strengthen community and improve health for generations to come.