Pittsburgh School Celebrates Opening Of New $400K Schoolyard

PITTSBURGH, PA — Students at Greenfield Pre-K-8 Neighborhood School spent a few minutes out of the classroom Friday celebrating the opening of a new $400,000 community schoolyard.

Officials on hand for the schoolyard's official debut said it showcases how transforming paved and underused schoolyards can expand access to parks, create places for children to learn and play, and help neighborhoods become more climate resilient.

“Greenfield Elementary’s transformed schoolyard is a powerful example of what public investment can mean for a community: a safe place for children to play, a green space where families can gather, and a third space where neighbors can connect with one another and with nature,” said U.S. Rep. Summer Lee of Pittsburgh, who secured FY26 community project funding to support the transformation.

Led by Trust for Public Land’s Community Schoolyards program, the project transformed the schoolyard into a greener, more welcoming space with new play equipment and connection to nature. The project will serve Greenfield’s students and more than 2,500 neighbors within a 10-minute walk.

Danielle Denk, Director of the Community Schoolyards Program at Trust for Public Land, said the redeveloped area on which the schoolyard was built, said that it can be a park, a classroom, a gathering place and a tool for building healthier, more resilient neighborhoods.

“These spaces also give children more opportunities to put down their screens, get outside, and connect with nature and one another," she said.