Rep. Summer Lee Tours Pittsburgh School Greening Projects with Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

PHOTOS

PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 16, 2026 - Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pittsburgh Public Schools officials, and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy staff for a tour of local school grounds greening projects that are helping transform outdoor spaces into places where students can learn, play, grow, and connect with nature.

The tour began at Spring Garden Early Childhood Center, where Rep. Lee visited a new natural play space serving up to 104 early childhood students across six classrooms. The approximately 6,000-square-foot outdoor classroom and recreation space includes a hillside amphitheater, mud kitchen, play bridge, chalk zone, raised planter boxes, and colorful fence art inspired by student drawings. Rep. Lee then visited the Page Street Accessible Vegetable Garden in Manchester, a community garden revitalized with ADA-accessible pathways, raised garden beds, solar-powered wheelchair charging stations, educational signage, musical instruments, a communication board, and a shade structure.

"Every child deserves a school where they can breathe clean air, play safely, learn outside, and feel cared for by the community around them," said Rep. Lee. "When we invest in our kids, our educators, our neighborhoods, and our public schools, we can have green spaces where children discover nature, families see their schools loved and supported, and communities build healthier futures together. That is exactly why I introduced the Revitalizing America's Schoolyards Act, because every student, no matter their zip code, deserves a schoolyard where they can learn with their hands, play with their friends, and feel connected to the world around them."

The visit highlighted how investments in green schoolyards, outdoor classrooms, natural play spaces, and accessible gardens can support student health, hands-on environmental education, climate resilience, accessibility, and community well-being. It also drove home the importance of Rep. Lee'sRevitalizing America's Schoolyards Act, legislation to help schools across the country transform asphalt-covered, underused, and inaccessible outdoor spaces into healthy, green, and engaging places for children and families.

"Every student should have the opportunity to spend time outdoors and connect with the natural world, regardless of their age, background, or where they attend school," said Art Demeo, Senior Director of Community Greenspace and Urban Forestry at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. "Many of us who work in environmental fields can trace our passion and careers back to meaningful experiences in nature during childhood. By creating greener schoolyards and outdoor learning spaces, we help ensure that every child has the opportunity to develop that same connection, fostering a lifelong appreciation for nature and the environment."

"Creating high-quality learning environments extends beyond the walls of our classrooms," said Michael McNamara, Chief Operations Officer for Pittsburgh Public Schools. "Through our partnership with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, we are transforming outdoor spaces into places where students can learn, explore, and connect with nature. These projects enhance our school grounds and demonstrate how thoughtful investments in our facilities can create lasting benefits for both students and the surrounding community."

"The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is excited about the possibilities unlocked by the Revitalizing America's Schoolyards Act," said Jen Schnakenberg, assistant director of education, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. "Green schoolyards are outdoor classrooms and places where learning happens naturally. By investing in these spaces, we are investing in healthier students, stronger neighborhoods, and a more resilient future. We are proud to partner with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Pittsburgh Public Schools to expand access to nature-based learning across Pittsburgh."

Since 2007, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy's school grounds greening work has supported hands-on learning opportunities at schools across the region by creating outdoor classrooms, natural play spaces, food gardens, low-maintenance plantings, and other green spaces where students can explore ecology, agriculture, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. Through its partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Grable Foundation, WPC has helped bring sustainable greenery to 57 Pittsburgh Public Schools sites, in addition to 13 early childhood centers funded by PNC Grow Up Great.

The Spring Garden Early Childhood Natural Play Space was developed through a collaborative design process that included teachers, facility staff, families, caregivers, and students. The Page Street Accessible Vegetable Garden, originally established in the 1980s, was revitalized with support from the Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to expand access for people with disabilities and create new educational and recreational opportunities for students at the Conroy School and community members across Manchester.

To view photos from today's tour, please click here.

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Judiciary and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, shehas delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.7 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania's infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 4,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.