Schoolyard Forest Leadership Institute

Now enrolling: Fall 2026 - San Diego

The Schoolyard Forest Regional Leadership Institute is a two-year program that empowers school districts to move beyond piecemeal greening projects and address the systemic barriers that too often hamper these efforts. We help teams build the systems, policies, and plans necessary to scale living schoolyard forests across entire districts—equitably and sustainably.

From Vision to Action

Over two years, teams will deepen their knowledge, create a shared vision, and build their capacity to manage schoolyard forests as a coordinated, institutional system.

COHORT WORKSHOPS: The program centers around a series of day-long professional development workshops. Participants will learn about best practices for schoolyard forest design, implementation, maintenance, and use and will build an understanding of the key components of a robust schoolyard forest system.

ACTION PLANS: Each team will develop an Action Plan to strategically shift district policies, systems, and practices to support the long-term success of schoolyard forests across their districts. Our flexible framework meets districts where they are, helps identify and prioritize areas for change, and provides a roadmap to guide implementation in years to come.

SCHOOLYARD TOURS: Optional day-long tours provide inspiration, a chance to learn about real examples of successes and challenges, and an opportunity to share promising practices for scaling schoolyard forests districtwide.

TAILORED SUPPORT: Green Schoolyards America staff meets with each school district team on a regular basis to help districts develop and implement their action plans. We help teams navigate emergent challenges and provide opportunities to deepen district engagement, such as targeted professional development sessions for key district and school staff.

REGIONAL NETWORK: Throughout the Institute teams will be encouraged to get to know their colleagues and local nonprofits, public agencies, and guest experts. After the formal two-year program concludes, all teams are invited to participate in an ongoing regional community of practice to support the long-term success of their schoolyard forest efforts.

san diego brochure

Join us!

The San Diego program will run from September 2026 through June 2028 at rotating locations across the region.

We are looking for school district teams that are:

  • ready to invest in this work long-term

  • made up of 3 to 10 senior leadership staff from the superintendent’s office, facilities, operations, health, and instruction/curriculum departments

  • interested in children’s health and wellbeing, improving academic outcomes, and protecting their community from climate change

Thanks to generous support of generous funders, this program is free for qualifying districts. High-need districts are also eligible for stipends to help cover travel and other costs that allow staff to fully participate in the Institute.

Enrollment Process

Interested districts should fill out the form linked below. Our staff will then contact you for an initial conversation to discuss the district’s readiness and fit for the program. Districts that are invited to enroll in the program will be asked to sign a participation agreement to confirm the district’s commitment to the work.

San Diego Interest form

Questions?

Contact Mikaela Randolph, Associate Director of Regional Programs at mikaela [at] greenschoolyards [dot] org

 

Program Partners and Sponsors

This institute is hosted by Green Schoolyards America, as part of The California Schoolyard Forest System® (CA SFS). The CA SFS was founded by Green Schoolyards America in collaboration with the California Department of Education, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and Ten Strands. Funding for the initiative was provided by a grant administered by CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program and private philanthropy.