On May 22nd an eager crowd consisting of community leaders, project sponsors, school administration and elementary school-age children gathered at Tacoma’s Jennie Reed Elementary School. After countless months of planning and collaboration, the time had arrived for an official ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the finished playfield transformation that can now be enjoyed by many more Tacoma residents.
A public park means many things to our city neighborhoods: physical fitness, beauty, rest, shade, and an outdoor escape from the confines of four walls. However, not everyone has the luxury of living near a public park and in some parts of Tacoma, the number of families without close access to a public park is significant. To help resolve this matter, Trust for Public Land worked with Tacoma Public Schools, Metro Parks Tacoma and other supporters and partners to create the Tacoma Community Schoolyards Program.
Through the Tacoma Community Schoolyards Program, five Tacoma schoolyards will be renovated and turned into green places for the more than 25,000 people that live within a 10-minute walk from these schools. These schoolyards will be open to the public outside of school hours and school events and on weekends, aligning with Metro Parks hours.
At Jennie Reed, the second of five schools to be transformed into one of these public-friendly spaces, renovations included several upgrades such as new playground equipment and other outdoor exercise opportunities, and trees that were planted to help reduce noise from the nearby interstate. Just in time for the beautiful summer months, neighbors of Jennie Reed Elementary now have a new green space to enjoy.
The makeover at Jennie Reed Elementary was one of five Trust for Public Land school renovations planned for Tacoma schools. The Ben B. Cheney Foundation is proud to support Trust for Public Lands in this project. Learn more about the project at: tpl.org/our-work/tacoma-community-schoolyards
About Trust for Public Land:
Trust for Public Land’s mission is to create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, they have protected more than 3.5 million acres nationwide and created or renovated 2,000 parks. They have helped states and municipalities generate more than $75 billion in public funds for conservation, restoration, and parks through voter-approved ballot measures. In Washington, they have protected over 125,000 acres of land for people, including some of the State’s most iconic places, such as the Columbia River Gorge and Mountains to Sound Greenway. They have also supported the creation or renovation of dozens of parks and playgrounds.
