Revitalizing America’s Schoolyards Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a new grant program to help schools turn traditional playgrounds into park-like spaces with trees, gardens, and outdoor classrooms. These areas would be designed for hands-on learning and nature play while also serving as public parks for the community after school hours.
• Schools can apply for up to $1 million in total funding to plan and build these projects. The money can be used for things like planting native trees to provide shade, building natural playgrounds made from non-plastic materials, and creating spaces for students to grow food or study wildlife.
• The program prioritizes schools in low-income areas, places with very few trees, and neighborhoods that face extreme heat or flooding. It also sets aside 5 percent of the funding specifically for schools run by Indian Tribes or the Bureau of Indian Education.
• Beyond construction, the grants can pay for training teachers on how to lead lessons outdoors. It also requires schools to have a long-term plan for maintaining the new gardens and play areas once the federal funding ends.

Impact Analysis

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