Rightsize. Right Support. Right for Students.
Portland Public Schools is undertaking a districtwide rightsizing process to better align our schools, programs, and resources with the needs of today’s students and the realities shaping our future.
"Why try to explain miracles to your children when you can have them plant a garden."
-- Janet Kilburn Phillips
Green schoolyards create benefits on multiple levels: they help students play and build social-emotional learning; they create outdoor spaces for students to learn through exploration of the natural environment; tree plantings can capture carbon and provide critical shade that can have a huge impact on the negative effects of urban heat islands; native gardens can supply fresh local food to student and families while attracting beneficial pollinators; and so much more.
At PPS, we see inviting, inclusive, green outdoor spaces as a gateway for students to a lifetime of healthy outdoor habits and stewardship for the natural world.
We have a long way to go to having an outdoor learning space and a thriving green schoolyard at every school in PPS, but we're also really proud of all the greenery and garden programming we do have.
As of the 2023-24 school year, Portland Public Schools:
Are you a student, teacher, parent, or community member who is interested in creating a green schoolyard project at your school? Use the resources and follow the steps outlined below to get started.
Outdoor learning and garden education is growing at PPS! Through our outstanding partner organizations, more and more PPS students are getting into the garden to learn about nature, stewardship, nutrition, and food system sustainability. Engaging youth in gardens gives them a sense of belonging and new perspectives on food, health, and the world around them.
In the 2023-24 school year, for the first time, FoodCorps will be partnering with 7 PPS schools to provide garden education: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, César Chávez K-8 School, Marysville Elementary, Woodlawn Elementary, Jason Lee Elementary, Chapman Elementary, and Woodmere Elementary.
Growing Gardens will continue to partner with Lent, Scott, Kelly, Whitman, and Faubion, plus Rigler where Growing Gardens plans to offer culturally specific programming called Semillas Indígenas.
Grow Portland currently partners with 9 sites: Bridlemile, Beverly Cleary, Clark, Creston, Grout, Harrison Park, James John, Rose City Park, and Vestal.
Help steward our beautiful schoolyards by signing up for one of the many SOLVE and PPS collaborative clean up events taking around Portland Public Schools. You can sign up for an event that exists already, or, if you don't see an event for your school, you can organize one!
Contact communitycare@pps.net to learn more about signing up for an event or hosting a community care day at your school.
In 22-23, PPS planted over 50 trees and engaged over 175 students in urban forestry education!
For the 23-24 school year, we are planning to plant over 100 trees at schools that reside in low canopy areas of the city. Many of these tree plantings start with community members, teachers, and parents; we are grateful that there is so much community enthusiasm for this important work.
Where do schoolyards show up in the PPS Climate Crisis Response Policy? So glad you asked.
The policy states that PPS will...
