Rep. Summer Lee Celebrates New Schoolyard Supported by $400K in Federal Funds, Highlights Bill to Transform Schoolyards

September 4, 2026 Press Release Photos (Dropbox) PITTSBURGH, PA – September 4, 2026 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Trust for Public Land (TPL), Greenfield PreK-8 Neighborhood School, and community leaders to celebrate the opening of a new community schoolyard. The Congresswoman secured $400,000 in FY26 community project funding to support the transformation. The new schoolyard showcases how transforming paved and underused schoolyards can expand access to parks, create places for children to learn and play, and help neighborhoods become more climate resilient. The event, hosted at Greenfield Elementary, included a brief speaking program and a walkthrough of the new community schoolyard with students and parents. During her remarks, Rep. Lee highlighted her Revitalizing America’s Schoolyards Act , legislation to help schools nationwide transform their schoolyards into vibrant, nature-rich spaces for learning, play, and community use. She introduced the bill in April 2026 with Senator Martin Heinrich from New Mexico. “Greenfield Elementary’s transformed schoolyard is a powerful example of what public investment can mean for a community: a safe place for children to play, a green space where families can gather, and a third space where neighbors can connect with one another and with nature,” said Rep. Lee. “I’m proud to have supported this incredible transformation with $400,000 in federal funds and to have introduced the Revitalizing America’s Schoolyards Act to help communities across the country follow Greenfield’s example and transform schoolyards into greener, healthier, more resilient spaces for generations to come.” “Greenfield shows that a schoolyard can be so much more than a place for recess—it can be a park, a classroom, a gathering place, and a tool for building healthier, more resilient neighborhoods,” said Danielle Denk, Director of the Community Schoolyards Program at Trust for Public Land. “These spaces also give children more opportunities to put down their screens, get outside, and connect with nature and one another. Congresswoman Summer Lee’s leadership in advancing the Revitalizing America’s Schoolyards Act recognizes the power of these spaces and the need for investment to help communities across the country transform asphalt into vibrant places where children and families can connect with the outdoors.” “We are grateful to Congresswoman Summer Lee for securing this important investment, which will transform Pittsburgh Greenfield’s schoolyard into a space shaped by student voice and designed to support learning, play, connection and well-being,” said Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne N. Walters. “We appreciate Congresswoman Lee’s partnership, her advocacy for our students and her recognition of the important role our school spaces play in supporting students and strengthening communities.” Greenfield is a powerful local example of what public investment can accomplish. Led by Trust for Public Land’s Community Schoolyards program, the project transformed the schoolyard into a greener, more welcoming space with new play equipment and connection to nature. The project will serve Greenfield’s students and more than 2,500 neighbors within a 10-minute walk. The project also illustrates the role schoolyards can play in addressing extreme heat and building climate resilience. Students at Greenfield helped develop the design through 8 weeks of participatory design, with focused STEAM lessons focused on climate and health challenges facing their community. Photos from the event can be found here . Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Judiciary and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.7 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 4,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.