Sherman Elementary School
San Francisco, CA
Sherman Elementary School began dreaming of a green schoolyard in 2004. They envisioned transforming the school’s flat asphalt yard into a landscaped environment that would allow nature play, gardening, and other creative outdoor activities. Together with architect Richard Parker of 450 architects, environmental planner Sharon Danks, and landscape architect Jeff Miller, parents, teachers, staff, and the greater school community gathered to brainstorm ideas. The resulting design transformed the asphalt yard into a gently sloping hill, amphitheater, outdoor classroom, waterfall and pond.
“We are deeply grateful for your creative vision, great listening skills, help and support. You led us on a path to collectively and collaboratively dream about what our school community would like to see in the ‘greening of our yards.’ And now our school is beautifully transformed!”
- Phyllis Matsuno, Principal, Sherman Elementary School
Client: San Francisco Unified School District
$1.9 million, Completed 2006
The school community helped build the new schoolyard—spreading mulch, planting vegetation, and pressing leaves into freshly poured concrete to make attractive prints. The school’s curriculum now includes lessons in the green schoolyard, focusing on subjects such as ecology, biology, geology, and caring for the yard’s plants and animals. Since the green schoolyard has been completed, test scores at Sherman Elementary School have consistently improved - a testament to the learning retention of outdoor living classrooms when the curriculum is integrated throughout the child’s day. With the collaborative energy and creativity of so many community members and individuals, Sherman Elementary School now has a beautiful, thriving, living schoolyard where students can gather, learn, and play.
For more information, please visit the Sherman School’s Green Schoolyard Project and the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance.
