State Street Elementary

Funding for this project is provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, which awarded TreePeople with a Green Schoolyards grant to transform 12 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) campuses into greener, more sustainable environments. This project addresses the urgent need for shaded, green spaces in schools that are predominantly covered in heat-absorbing asphalt.

The initiative focuses on improving air quality, reducing extreme heat, enhancing stormwater capture, and providing educational and recreational opportunities through the planting of native trees and plants. Each school will benefit from a comprehensive greening effort, including the removal of impermeable surfaces and the creation of outdoor gathering and learning spaces.

TreePeople’s holistic approach to greening prioritizes the voices most affected by this work: the school community. Our bilingual school greening team facilitates listening sessions and workshops for parents, students, and faculty to best understand what changes they want to see at their school. Through surveys, workshops, and extensive community outreach, the school community can share their visions directly with TreePeople.

This school greening project also includes environmental education, providing lessons and activities to the school communities emphasizing hands-on learning, outdoor activities, and real-world applications. While each school is being designed and “greened”, students, teachers, and parents will learn the importance and benefits of having a green school and how to steward it.

At State Street Elementary, located in South Gate, the school greening plans involve removing over 20,000 square feet of asphalt and planting over 30 trees and 500 native plants, as well as creating a shaded sports field and multi-purpose outdoor learning and gathering spaces. Plans also include a STEAM-focused garden, adjacent to the school’s science classrooms which connects to the school’s science curriculum.