New space for Pittsburgh children to play, learn opens in Troy Hill

PITTSBURGH — Students at a local school have a new place to play and learn outside.

Local and state leaders toured the addition to the Spring Garden Early Childhood Center in Troy Hill.

The new space is the result of collaborative work between the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and local leaders.

It is designed to create a natural play space aimed at sparking curiosity and encouraging more outdoor play.

It includes a 6,000-square-foot outdoor classroom, a hillside amphitheater, mud kitchen, play bridge, chalk zone, raised planter boxes and a fence with art inspired by student drawings.

“The simplest thing is just to get kids outside, spending time outside in a safe, clean, green environment - more than just a little grass field or parking lot playing dodgeball,“ Senior Director of Urban Forestry & Community Greening for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Art Demeo said.

The conservancy says it’s helped create 13 green spaces over the last 15 years with another space on its way soon.

Rep. Summer Lee was one of the leaders to tour the space.

“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,” Lee said.

Lee said her Revitalizing America’s Schoolyards Act helped bring projects like this to life.

“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.”

The space will serve over 100 students across six classrooms.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW