Discover Chicago: Expanding Horizons

CHICAGO (WLS) — Across Chicago, numerous school playgrounds serve dual purposes: offering kids a place to play while also tackling climate change challenges, such as managing excessive rainfall that can cause flooding.

A prime example is at Brown Community Academy in West Pullman, which was completed in May. This summer, Space to Grow is extending its efforts to revamp five additional locations.

The initiative zeroes in on areas historically lacking investment. Jennifer Tani, President and CEO of the Healthy Schools Campaign, oversees the Space to Grow program. “We target schools located in areas prone to severe flooding. The south and west sides of Chicago usually suffer the most from heavy rains and have insufficient green spaces,” Tani explains. “Our goal is to identify schools based on equity and flood risk to receive new playground developments.”

She says “Green spaces act as sponges during those heavy rain storms. But many places have been paved over with a lack of reinvestment in green space.” Rain gardens, native plants with deeper roots to absorb more water, edible gardens and underground water storage chambers are some of the tools used in creating these playgrounds. They don’t just help address climate change or provide children and families with a place to get outdoors. The schoolyards are also educational, “We intend for all the schoolyards to be outdoor classrooms for learning. And so, we actually develop lesson plans and work with teachers and do professional development to insure that this learning can extend outside the classroom in science experiments, nutrition education, understanding climate education as well.”

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