This week, three Chicago public elementary schools, Grissom Elementary School in Chicago’s Hegewisch neighborhood, Schmid Elementary School in Pullman and Leland Elementary School in Austin, opened their gates to brand new green schoolyards. The schools are part of a pilot initiative, Space to Grow: Greening Chicago Schoolyards, co-managed by Chicago-based nonprofits Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands, which seeks to transform Chicago’s outdated schoolyards into vibrant outdoor spaces that benefit students, community members, and the environment.