Green schoolyards

Green schoolyards

During 2010, continuing in 2011, Malmö Stad projected the aim to create more green and attractive schoolyards for the schools in the city. This was done within the project “Gröna skolgårdar” (Green Schoolyards). About 20 of the most unattractive schoolyards in Malmö were remade and turned into attractive and creative rooms during this 2-year project. The project was also aiming at turning the schoolyard into a resource for the pedagogic work. When selecting the schools for the project, focus was on:

  • schoolyards lacking “green and growth”
  • primary schools
  • schools showing interest and engagement in the project

For the project to be successful it is important that the school participate fully in the whole project and shows interest and put off time for inspiration, planning and participation in the physical work of digging and planting.

The project was a cooperation between Serviceförvaltningen, Malmö Stad, Barn i stan (2010) Odla i stan (2011) and SLU.

 The schools’ participation

The politicians of Malmö did put up the ultimatum that the school had to participate fully in the project, meaning that the schools were involved from idea to reality. To ensure the school’s participation in the project there must be an active school-environment-group that together with the person responsible for the school’s outdoor environment created the ideas that will make the changes.

Depending on the art of the work, the students were able to participate by digging, sowing and planting. All the work in the schoolyard was done together with Kommunteknink, Arbetscentrum, Malmö naturskola, Barn i stan och Odla i stan.

During 2010 the persons responsible for the cultivation part of Barn i stan acted as inspiration at Nydalaskolan and Österportskolan. During 2011 Odla i stan took over the role as inspiration in the Gröna Skolgårdar-project as well as in the pilot project for a sustainable management model at Nydalaskolan. The process is following the principles of Gröna Skolgårdar which you can read more about at Malmö Naturskola’s website: http://www.natur.pedc.se/