Friends of the Boston Schoolyards

The Friends of the Boston Schoolyards is a newly formed non-profit corporation that promotes the preservation and productive use of Boston's public schoolyards. We work closely with the Boston Public Schools to advocate for and support ongoing maintenance and improvements to the schoolyards, and to promote their use for teaching, learning, health, and recreation. Boston's schoolyard and outdoor classroom designs, as well as their educational programs, have been models for cities nationally and internationally. Research indicates that learning outdoors reduces stress, enlists underrepresented students in STEM careers, engages students with divergent abilities and interests, and helps students entering school with significant language deficits. Coupled with the health benefits achieved through increased physical activity in our schoolyards, it is critical that the promotion of teaching and learning outdoors be a central component of Boston's education, health, and environmental policies.