We had an excellent day of play and sunny weather at this year’s Stewardship Workshop hosted by PS 111Q. If you weren’t able to attend, you can view all the presenter slides here: You can still apply to the TPL Mini-Grant even if you didn’t get to attend. See application here. Thank you and we…
2026 TPL Stewardship Mini-Grant
We’re excited to offer a mini-grant opportunity for TPL schoolyard sites only to support programs, events, and projects that bring your schoolyard to life. Application Deadline: May 4, 2026 Please note before applying: What kinds of projects can this support?Past mini-grants have funded: This grant can only be awarded at TPL NYC Community Schoolyard sites….
The Extraordinary Caterpillar
There’s a new documentary, The Extraordinary Caterpillar, that zooms in on the tiny creatures powering our ecosystems—and it’s the perfect reminder that big learning can happen on a very small scale…like in your school’s garden. Here’s a Monarch caterpillar I spotted in the garden of MS 354 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn: Our TPL mini-grant could…
BBG Summer Scholarship Opportunity for Teachers – Apps due April 17th
🌱 Scholarship Opportunity for NYC Educators – Summer 2026 🌱 The City Gardens Club of New York City is continuing its Summer 2026 Scholarship Program—and applications are now open! This scholarship covers the full cost of a P-credit course, giving NYC public school educators a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge of plants, ecology, and…
Teacher Learning – NYC Harbor and City Green Infrastructure
Professional Learning Opportunity: Explore NYC Harbor Water Quality & Green Infrastructure Opportunity at a GlanceJoin the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), NY Sea Grant, and SUNY Maritime for a unique half-day, in-person professional learning experience along the Long Island Sound waterfront. This program is designed for NYC middle and high school teachers…
DOE Climate Action Days
Climate Action Days + TPL Schoolyards NYC’s Office of Sustainability continues to lead the way with Climate Action Days—four moments each year where schools come together to learn, engage, and take meaningful steps toward a greener, healthier future. They kicked off with themes of energy and waste (focused on the school building) but the remaining…
Culture in Motion
Music, Food, Hair, and Performance in NYC Community Schoolyards Black culture lives in movement, sound, style, and story. Across NYC community schoolyards, culture shows up not as decoration, but as something students and communities actively do—through music, food, art, hair, and performance. When schoolyards are designed with community voice at the center, they become places…
Student Voice & Civic Power
How Participatory Design Turns Schoolyards into Civic Spaces For many students, helping design their schoolyard is the first time they are asked what they want their public space to be. Measuring the yard, mapping sun and shade, and sharing ideas with designers and elected officials introduces students to civic life in a tangible way—showing them…
Environmental Justice & Care
How Schoolyards Support Climate Resilience and Community Health Climate change does not affect all communities equally. In New York City, Black neighborhoods have faced higher exposure to extreme heat, fewer trees, and less access to safe green space as a result of decades of disinvestment and discriminatory policies. Community schoolyards play an important role in…
Roots & Place
Honoring Black History Through NYC Community Schoolyards Public spaces carry memory. In New York City, many community schoolyards sit in neighborhoods shaped by generations of Black history—through migration, resistance, celebration, and care. When schoolyards are designed with community voice at the center, they become places where that history is not only remembered, but lived. Two…