is in constant decline. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, children ages 8 through 18 now spend on average 7.5 hours per day in front of a screen. More than 28,000,000 children do not live within a 10-minute walk of a park. (7) Living schoolyards provide a diverse, engaging, multi-faceted play and social environment that encourages collaborative and cooperative play and social interaction. Adding living green spaces to schoolyards has been linked to persistent improvements in recess behavior. Living and green spaces have been shown to reduce bullying, anti-social behavior, and student misconduct, as well as support trauma-informed care and education. Evidence from a case study in Philadelphia correlates the transformation of a schoolyard, from asphalt to a living schoolyard, with a reduction in student suspensions. (8) Children spend a significant portion of their day on their school campuses, amounting to at least 840 instructional hours per year from grades 1 to 3, inclusive, and up to 1,080 hours for grades 9 to 12, inclusive. (9) Removing pavement and adding shade trees in places that are accessible to students and staff during the school day provides protection from high temperatures and reduces urban heat islands in the surrounding community, while also making school grounds more comfortable for both students and staff. (10) A living schoolyard that is park-like with trees and other plantings provides a peaceful, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasant environment for all students, and has been shown to increase physical activity, enhance brain development and function, improve vision and sleep, boost immune system health, and reduce risk of infectious and chronic disease among children. These spaces have been shown to improve mental health and the ability to pay attention for both children and adults. These spaces also have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, strengthen a sense of belonging, and restore a sense of calm and well-being and positive social behavior among