Penn Alexander School: Re-Imagining the Schoolyard

The Penn Alexander School (PAS) was founded in 2001 and is dedicated to providing high-quality public education to the neighborhood children through a child-centered, research-based program and earned a National Blue Ribbon School ranking in 2016. After 16 years, the school had a unique opportunity to re-imagine its outdoor spaces that serve both the student population and the surrounding community. PAS strives to continue its leadership position by improving the 3.5-acre outdoor play and education space to its full potential. Through a series of community meetings, surveying the student body & faculty, and attendance at noted public events like the Spruce Hill Community Association’s May Fair, Ground Reconsidered listened to the communities needs and created a new conceptual plan for the schoolyard. In addition to the plan, we provided options for a low-cost, early action community project to help drive excitement and to aid in securing future funding for the implementation of the full design.