 GREENING GREENFIELD is a unique private/public partnership focusing on the transformation of Greenfield School's urban site into an outdoor laboratory that teaches children while they play about micro-climates, indigenous plants, rain water absorption, energy conservation and harvesting, and their symbiotic relationship to the environment. Greening Greenfield not only offers Greenfield students a rich opportunity to learn the important lessons of environmental responsibility but also gives the surrounding community a green open recreation space in the heart of the city.
As the dominant land owner in Philadelphia of impervious asphalt-covered property, the Philadelphia School District has incredible potential, with the support of the Philadelphia Water Department, (PWD), to lead Philadelphia in creating a green legacy for future generations through the implementation of PWD's green stormwater infrastructure strategy to "green" all of the Philadelphia public school yards. Greening Greenfield is a model approach to sustainable site improvement, community involvement, and environmental service learning and curriculum enrichment which can be replicated at other Philadelphia public schools.
 Parents, students, teachers, and school administrators, with input from the Capital Programs Office of the Philadelphia School District, and help from the Community Design Collaborative began the plan in 2006 to transform the exterior of the school property, originally a sparsely landscaped asphalt yard referred to as the "parking lot", into a vibrant green space designed to exemplify ecological stewardship. The project demonstrates that schools can be environmentally responsible, can provide healthy places to learn and play, and can take an active role in community improvement.
students-parents-teachers-phs.jpgIn the four years from 2006 to 2010, the Greenfield students and the Home and School Association raised funds to design and complete the first three phases of construction - the west school yard improvements, the east school yard improvement, and installation of solar panels and a weather station on the roof of the school. The school yard improvements include the installation of a storm water management system with two indigenous Pennsylvania woodland forest rain gardens, porous pavement, permeable recycled play surface, an agriculture zone, and solar shading. The west school yard was completed in October 2009, and the east school yard and solar panel installation were completed in September 2010.
planting.jpgWith the school yard physical improvements complete, the Greenfield teachers are already using the gardens, solar energy system, and weather station as hands-on resources to support the teaching of the Philadelphia School District science curriculum, exposing students to opportunities to lead and serve in environmentally responsible ways.
The Greening Greenfield Committee is supporting Greenfield principal, Dan Lazar, in establishing opportunities for curriculum enrichment though the Greening Greenfield initiatives. Greening Greenfield Committee members are working directly with teachers to apply for grants for specific environmental education projects focused on creative ways to teach the Philadelphia environmental science curriculum: kindergarten fall semester: trees; 1st grade winter semester: pebbles, sand, silt; 1st grade spring semester: organisms; 2nd grade spring semester: insects; 3rd grade spring semester: plant growth and development; 4th grade: Land and Water; 5th grade fall curriculum: solar energy; 5th spring semester: ecosystems; 6th grade spring: environments; 7th grade: leaf identification. |
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  Greenfield's Earth Day Celebration is scheduled for May 6, 2011, and promises to be a full day of environmental activities for the students providing plenty of opportunities to enjoy the new gardens and our riverside proximity, plus learning opportunities about solar energy, food producing plants, storm drainage, and water quality monitoring.
Students will join Phil Forsyth and a team of volunteers from the Philadelphia Orchard Project to plant more strawberries and asparagus in our agricultural garden.
The Schuylkill River Development Council, The Wissahickon Environmental Center, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge will be leading environmental education activities for the Greenfield middle school students at the Schuylkill River and in the school yard rain gardens.
Two classes will go on walking field trips via the Schuylkill River Park path to the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center.
Volunteers form CH2MHill will lead students in testing the water quality of the Schuylkill River adjacent to the Chestnut Street pedestrian ramp to the park which is only a block from the school.
The kindergartners, plus first and second graders will enjoy their second annual Earth Day Picnic along side the River. Garth Connor of the EPA will show the students interactive recycling materials.
The day will be capped with a Greening Greenfield Funder Recognition Ceremony including unveiling of commemorative plaques, followed by a reception in the new Secret Garden outdoor classroom.
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The final project of the Greening Greenfield Master Plan is the installation of a green roof on the school building. The Greening Greenfield Committee is working closely with the School District of Philadelphia to coordinate this project, scheduled to be completed summer 2012.
The green roof project is proposed to include multiple phases.
First, a green roof system will be installed on the east half of the school building. This system will exceed the Philadelphia Water Department goal of retaining the first inch of storm water on site. It will provide added insulation to the building envelope, decreasing cooling and heating energy loads for the building. Green roofs have a positive effect on the environment outside the building through the reduction of the building's heat island effect. As an added bonus, green roofs increase the longevity of the building roofing material by providing a protective layer from wear, UV light, and air borne contaminants. The green roof protective layer also buffers any quick changes in temperature which can cause damage to the roofing through rapid thermal expansion and contraction.
In the future, an extension of the building elevator and east stair is proposed to provide access to the roof for a rooftop green house classroom.
$65,000 of funding has been committed by the PA DEP to this project already. The Greening Greenfield Committee is actively pursuing matching funding to this DEP grant as well as addition grants.
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During 2011, the Greenfield Home and School Association has been constructing an outdoor classroom in the "Secret Garden" at 23rd and Chestnut Streets with volunteer parents and students installing cobblestone pavers donated by Brandywine Realty Trust salvaged from the 30th Street Post Office Renovation and Restoration Project.
Students have started planting the new flower beds in the rejuvenated Secret Garden. The apple tree, raspberries, and grapes are flourishing with the new care and attention from Greenfield School partners like the Philadelphia Orchard Project and master gardener Martin Warman.
The Greening Greenfield Committee is organizing an E-Cycle Event to raise funds for outdoor classroom furniture so that Greenfield teachers can move their class outside to do their school work when the weather is good.
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 2010 is a year with much to celebrate at Greenfield School. Earth Day is 40 years old! And soon Greenfield School will be celebrating the same momentous anniversary.
On Earth Day, April 22, 2010, a full day of environmental activities for the students provided plenty of opportunities to enjoy the new gardens and our riverside proximity, plus learning opportunities about solar energy, food producing plants, storm drainage and water quality monitoring.
Phil Forsyth and a team of volunteers from the Philadelphia Orchard Project lead seventh graders in planting strawberries and asparagus in our agricultural garden, Garth Connor showed the students the EPA's interactive materials about the natural water cycle, and Ron Harvey and Denise McKeon lead sixth grade students in marking our surrounding storm drains to alert people not to pollute. Ms. Karen from the Rittenhouse Free Library came for an Earth Day Story Hour with the first graders.
Seven classes took walking field trips to the Schuylkill River Park - the Chestnut Street ramp to the park is only a block from the school. Volunteers from CH2MHILL provided kits and helped fourth and fifth grade students to test the water quality of the Schuylkill River. The kindergartners had a fabulous time picnicking along side the River. The day was capped with the very popular Greening Greenfield Silent Auction and Social.
September 2010 will mark the 40th Anniversary of the opening of the Albert M. Greenfield School. News of a number of incredible early birthday gifts has the school community abuzz with excitement for the celebration. Grants from the PA DEP and from HeadCount through a Disco Biscuit Benefit Concert will be helping to fund this summer's Phase II of construction. Hooray!
    
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Sponsors
The Greening Greenfield project has been awarded a second grant from The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation. Support from the Greenfield Foundation totals $150,000.
To date the project has also received the following grants, services, donations and in-kind contributions:
- Philadelphia Water Department
- GreenPlan Philadelphia
- Disco Biscuits & HeadCount
- PA Departmetn of Conservation of Natural Resources TreeVitalize
- Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Tree Tenders
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Philadelphia Activities Fund, Inc. sponsored by Council President Anna Verna
- PA Department of Community and Economic Development through Representative Babette Josephs
- Conestoga Bank
- Greenfield School Students
- Greenfield Home and School Association
- Community Design Collaborative
- Dane Décor
- I Goldberg
- Marathon Grill
- Schuylkill River Greenway Association
- Exelon Corp
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