Playing Smart changelabsolutions.org | kaboom.org 22 “Our relationship with Boston is rather informal,” Johnson says. “We have an application and review process that helps us make decisions involving the city, Boston Public Schools, and the Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative – the three groups that make up the Boston Schoolyard Initiative. But there are really no legal documents guiding the collaboration. “In some ways it’s an asset, because it allows us to be very flexible,” she adds. “Joint use agreements are now in vogue. But these projects were always designed to serve the broader community, not just the school. So the joint use approach is just built into the process.” The BSFC pays for staffing the initiative and is increasingly supporting capital costs, plus a planning grant for schools. The city currently contributes about $3 for every $1 in private funding on the capital side. But when you include private funding for educational programming, the ratio is closer to $2 to $1. The yearly capital investment in the BSI is estimated at $1.1 million from the city and $300,000 from the Funders Collaborative. The BSFC also invests at least $150,000 annually in education programs. The original plan was for a five-year public commitment. But with continued support from both private funders and the public, the program is ongoing. BSI currently has three projects in the planning phase; when construction is complete, nearly 90 Boston schools will enjoy creative outdoor play spaces. With the schoolyard renovation process going smoothly, BSI is able to focus increasingly on curriculum development. Communities across the country are now modeling their own curriculum after the city’s innovative approaches. “Boston has led the way on making curriculum connections between science and writing,” Johnson says. “I think it’s very exciting – we’re harvesting the power of the schoolyard to deepen student learning.”
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