Riverbank Elementary School students enjoy the new outdoor learning and play area while Washington Unified School District Superintendent Cheryl Hildreth addresses staff and guests during the Cool Schools Yolo celebration on Nov. 6.

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Thousands of Yolo County children are benefiting from a recently completed project that brought enhanced outdoor learning and play areas to nine different schools.

A celebration marking the completion of the Cool Schools Yolo construction program was held at Riverbank Elementary School in West Sacramento on Nov. 6. Officials from Washington Unified School District, Riverbank Elementary, the Texas Trees Foundation and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection were among those on hand.

Cool Schools seeks to connect students and teachers to nature by transforming school campuses through tree planting and the creation of experiential outdoor learning areas. The program promotes environmental education and stewardship and aims to nurture a lifelong love of nature and outdoor exploration.

“This has been a phenomenal project,” said Katie Rodriguez, principal at Riverbank Elementary. “It’s been really nice to see the kids fighting over the swings instead of fighting with each other.”

In 2022, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Urban and Community Forestry Program allocated $21 million for Cool Schools. The program was operated by the Texas Trees Foundation with the assistance of local entities such as Tree Davis and the Woodland Tree Foundation. 

The funding was used to create new play spaces and plant trees at four Washington Unified campuses and five campuses of Woodland Unified School District. Between them, the schools have more than 3,000 students. 

“Every student deserves a school where they feel connected, supported and inspired to learn,” said Cheryl Hildreth, superintendent of Washington Unified School District. “These projects bring our strategic plan’s commitment to the whole child to life, creating spaces where our students can explore, learn together and build a stronger connection to their school.”

Cool Schools’s goals include increasing tree canopy coverage on campuses.

At Riverbank, which started out as Washington High School more than 60 years ago, thousands of square feet of asphalt was ripped up and replaced with grass, more than 130 trees and two separate outdoor play areas. The school has nearly 600 students, many of whom were visibly excited when given the chance to enjoy the new areas.

More than 20 varieties of trees were planted on the campus, including oaks, cedars, willows, spruce and pineapple guava. 

California schools average just 9 percent tree coverage. Thanks to Cool Schools Yolo, tree canopies at the nine schools will expand up to 30 percent, cooling campuses by as much as 15 degrees during the summer and cutting air conditioning costs.

“Time in nature has shown to have a measurable impact on the mental and physical wellness of students, increasing social and emotional learning, focus in the classroom and overall academic performance while also decreasing symptoms of ADHD, stress and aggression,” said Samantha Bradley, director of the Cool Schools Program for Texas Trees.

West Sacramento schools that took part in the Cool Schools program are Riverbank Elementary, Westmore Oaks Elementary, Yolo High School and River City High School.

In Woodland Unified, Beamer, Dingle, Freeman, Prairie and Whitehead elementary schools were all part of the program.

“This is great,” said Reina Macias, an education support professional at Riverbank who also attended the school in the early 1980s. “It gives the kids and adults both a place to spend time, especially when the weather is nice.”