The Space to Grow™ program marked a significant milestone with its 35th ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebrating the transformation of the schoolyard at Ronald H. Brown Community Academy, located at 12607 S. Union Ave. in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood.

Once a fully asphalt-covered lot, the schoolyard has been reimagined into a vibrant, multi-functional green space designed to benefit both students and the environment. The new schoolyard now features a running track and artificial turf field, a basketball court, porous playground surfacing, a nature play area, a rain garden, and an outdoor classroom.

The redesigned yard can now capture and manage up to 303,246 gallons of stormwater during each rain event, helping to reduce neighborhood flooding and support the city’s broader climate resilience goals.

“The transformation at Ronald Brown Academy is a shining example of how impactful green infrastructure can protect our communities from stormwater damage while giving our children inspiring places to learn and grow,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “By investing in spaces like this, we’re not just managing stormwater—we’re planting seeds for environmental stewardship, equity, and resilience across Chicago.”

This transformation is part of a larger, city-wide effort to use green infrastructure to manage stormwater sustainably. Green infra­structure mimics the natural environment by capturing water and allowing it to infiltrate into the ground before it enters the traditional conveyance system. This helps to reduce the amount of water flowing through the gray infrastructure of pipes that can be overwhelmed by in­tense rain events. Each schoolyard serves not only as a recreational area but as a living classroom, where students are introduced to environmental science and engineering that results in solutions for today and the future.

“Depending on the amount of stormwater, the MWRD treats about 450 billion gallons of water each year for an average of 1.2 billion gallons of water each day, and the MWRD ‘s total water treatment capacity is over 2 billion gallons per day. In fact, we can now capture a huge amount of water – 303,246 gallons – every time it rains right here at Ronald Brown Academy,” said MWRD Commissioner Yumeka Brown.

Since its launch in 2014, the Space to Grow program has brought new life to more than 36 schoolyards across Chicago, with more projects on the way. The initiative is a partnership between the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management, Healthy Schools Campaign, and Openlands.