Schoolyard Planning Grants & Cohort 1 Project Updates

Now Accepting Schoolyard Planning Grant Applications
Due October 4th!

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Students at Starms Early Childhood Center and teacher Lisa Misky learning about the construction worker careers that are building their new schoolyard

Apply for Schoolyard Conceptual Planning HERE!

Cohort 4 Conceptual Planning Grants Available
Due October 4th

Made possible by funding provided by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), the nonprofit Reflo works each year (this will be the 4th cohort!) through the GSCM to partner with MMSD, the Fund for Lake Michigan, UWM's CDS, Cream City Conservation Corps, municipalities, school districts and other supportive organizations to provide five schools with conceptual schoolyard redevelopment planning grants. The grants provide schools with monthly collaborative design workshops where school staff, students, and community members work to develop feasible plans, budgets, timelines, and curriculum connections for removing asphalt and promoting sustainable stormwater management, outdoor classrooms, recreation, natural habitats, and eco-literacy. An example of a conceptual planning document developed through this process can be found here.

Grant Timeline

Thursday, August 29th, 2019 – Grant Application Announcement
Tuesday, September 24th, 2019 – GSCM Meeting to discuss details of the conceptual planning grant with a Q&A session - RSVP here
Friday, October 4th, 2019 – Grant Applications due by midnight
Thursday, November 7th, 2019 – Project Selection Committee Presentations from 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Mid-November 2019 – Grants Announcements and Contracting
January 2020 through May 2020 – Conceptual Schoolyard Redevelopment Planning

See additional details about Grant Descriptions and Timelines below or direct questions to lisa.neeb@refloh2o.com

Download the Grant Description and Timelines

September's GSCM Meeting - Grant Info and School Updates!

Tuesday September 24th at 5:30 pm at Arts @ Large's new building!
(1100 S 5th Street, Milwaukee)

Meeting topics will include:

Discussion of the new round of conceptual planning grants for schoolyard redevelopment - Q and A session
Follow up to this summer's 4th Annual Green Schools Conference (~300 attendees, 45+ exhibitors, 30+ presenters, and other good things to follow up on)
Update on the 1st cohort of schools supported by the GSCM that are wrapping up construction ($1.6 million was raised to support four schoolyard redevelopment projects)!
Additional resources available (feel free to bring)

RSVP for the GSCM Meeting HERE!

Cohort 1 Schoolyard Redevelopment Project Updates:

A.E. Burdick School

Includes: asphalt removal, stormwater trees, a bioswale, native landscaping, an outdoor classroom, rainwater harvesting for their existing hoop house and a new kickball field.

Hawley Environmental School

Includes: asphalt removal, stormwater trees, an outdoor classroom featuring tiered seating and shade sails (to be installed), a 20,000-gallon underground cistern beneath a new kickball field (to be completed with a water monitoring system for math and science activities), a bioswale, and native plantings to help filter stormwater.

Longfellow Community School

Includes: asphalt removal, a porous synthetic turf soccer field with water storage (to be completed with a water monitoring system for math and science activities), a new greenhouse, bioswales, native plantings, and an outdoor classroom with natural seating elements.

Starms Early Childhood Center

Includes: asphalt removal, porous play surface in the shape of Lake Michigan with slides representing the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinic Rivers, city nodes around Lake Michigan (to be installed), play boats (to be installed in the Lake Michigan feature), a music play area, a loose parts / construction play area, an outdoor classroom, a bioswale and native plantings.

Other Resources and Updates

Help your school build a more sustainable community! Sign up Complete activities Earn points for your school by sending us photos of your actions Follow your school’s progress and encourage others to join! www.gscm.refloh2o.com/ecoliteracychallenge The EcoLiteracy Challenge is a one-stop shop for water and sustainability related curriculum, projects, presentations, field trips, and more that are designed to engage and excite everyone around our most precious resource: water. By completing activities and submitting photos of your actions to the website, you can even earn points for your school! You can choose from the activities on the ELC menu, or create your own. Learn more here!

Freshwater Tool Kit
Looking for fun and easy tools to help support your lesson plans on science and water resources? Check-out one or more of these FREE resources that help meet state educational standards created by the MKE Water Partners. More info

List of Green and Healthy School Resource Websites:

Thank you to all GSCM supporters and participants:

If you haven't already, make sure to check out the GSCM website and Facebook Page!