Argonne Elementary School

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what has inspired Tina Eshaghpour’s wild devotion to greening Argonne Elementary School. Maybe the seed was planted four years ago while she toured other San Francisco elementary schools with lush, green schoolyards before her son started kindergarten; maybe it was a natural extension of the environmental health philosophy in her own home; or maybe it was just her unyielding belief that children deserve the opportunity to understand and explore the natural world around them. Click here to read the full story.

Fairmount Elementary School

One of the first things Nicky Bloom noticed when she arrived as a first-year Education Outside corps member at Fairmount Elementary in 2010 was just how big the school really is. With its four red-roofed main buildings, three main yards, and plenty of additional classrooms scattered throughout the site, the elementary school terraces down the block, covering over two acres. Click here to read the full story.

Lakeshore Elementary School

Martha Luna can pinpoint the exact moment the school garden at Lakeshore Elementary School really started growing.  Right before the bell rang, she was standing around with other kindergarten parents on campus when Jean Butler yelled up to the chatting group, “Hey! Anybody want to help pull weeds?” Click here to read the full story.

West Portal Elementary School

Marina DeGroot, Sheila Harman, Debbie Huysentruyt, and Amy Mack all remember a time when the green schoolyard at West Portal Elementary School was covered with cars—not lettuce, carrots, and sprouts. The four women have been instrumental figures in the development and maintenance of the school garden since the beginning. Click here to read the full story.