Read the full story from The Philadelphia Citizen here.
“When Eli Prosper stands on the side patio of James Logan Elementary School and looks out across the school property, he doesn’t see 2.2 acres of gray pavement.
He sees what’s coming next, a plan conceived by Logan third graders and fine-tuned with the help of neighbors: a landscaped green yard with sections for social gatherings and quiet reflection, and courts for basketball, soccer and tennis. Around it all will be a walking/running track and a bike track that will be perfect for the Logan students who received free bikes last year through another Prosper project.
The property is fenced, but the gate will be left open.
“It’s a generational investment,” Prosper says. “Whenever a green space is installed at a school or nearby, it drives attendance from new families and current students who want to play with their friends and see the new space.”
Prosper is Logan’s Community School Coordinator, a job he’s held for four years. Logan is one of 20 community schools in Philadelphia, all participants in a program based on the idea that a school should be a neighborhood hub, and a place where local businesses and stakeholders can make tangible contributions that strengthen both the school and the neighborhood.”