As we shared in our fall newsletter, Green Schoolyards Action Network is growing by leaning into the framework of Green & Healthy Schools. This equity-based framework is GSAN’s expanded approach to supporting school districts' whole-district sustainability systems to improve student academic performance and bolster wellness outcomes for school communities. The Green & Healthy Schools framework includes implementation of the following pillars: green schoolyards, workforce development, and wellness policy. In each newsletter moving forward, we will report progress, explore opportunities, and provide resources for all three Green & Healthy Schools pillars (see the updated format below). I am thankful for all of you who have and continue to set the course for widespread transformation in education, food, and environmental systems, with schools leading the way!

But first, an exciting update:

The Green Umbrella Green Schoolyards Action Network was selected by the Children & Nature Network to participate in a Ripple Effect Mapping event, as one of five outdoor learning initiatives nationwide experiencing positive impact for school communities. Members from the Green Schoolyards Action Network convened to document the elements and impact of the collaboration between City officials, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), student leaders, and partner organizations.

Drawnversation visually recorded the interactive event as themes emerged from deep conversations between members. The themes that surfaced include: Policy/Systemic Change, Justice/Youth Leadership, Partnerships/Collaboration, and Agricultural Education/Workforce Development. The Children & Nature Network will provide a final report to allow the City, CPS, and partner organizations to capture results and communicate the complex yet impactful work happening in Cincinnati.

Join Green Umbrella and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful in celebrating Green Schoolyards at Green Drinks on Thursday, November 20th, 5:00-7:00 pm at Esoteric Brewing. Space is limited - RSVP here to reserve your spot!

Thanks to generous funding from Stoermer-Anderson, a series of maps is being created to show the green campus assets across the CPS district. The first map, coordinated by Art Atlas Cincinnati's Foodshed author Alan Wight, has been completed. It displays school gardens, orchards, Groundwork Ohio River Valley worksites, and Cincinnati Parks. The maps, in conjunction with CPS Resources, Assets and Service Map, will provide valuable data to inform the expansion and maintenance of greenspaces across the school district. The next map will illustrate trails that currently exist in CPS and will identify opportunities to connect pathways to Community Recreation Centers, parks, and libraries. Find the Foodshed Atlas, a project in partnership with Green Umbrella, here. If you are a business interested in sponsoring projects like this one, please contact cynthia@greenumbrella.org.

Another traffic garden has been installed in Cincinnati Public Schools! The Roll Hill Stinger City Traffic Garden is the fourth campus to receive an interactive outdoor learning site. A traffic garden is a space designed with a mini street network and simplified traffic features – completely free of cars. Traffic gardens can be created as painted layouts applied on hard surfaces or designed as small-scale streets, with asphalt and curbs to resemble real roads. Students learn and practice pedestrian and bike safety while engaging in physical activity.

Photo credit: Caitlin Sparks

The project was made possible by the Healthy Communities Team Grant awarded to the Cincinnati Health Department, as well as through the collaboration between partner organizations, including Tri-State Trails and Green Umbrella. The ribbon cutting took place in early October, where students could immediately use the new outdoor learning space.

Last month was a big month for workforce! Green Umbrella and Cincinnati Public Schools were featured for their partnership for expanding the Agricultural Education green pathway via garden-based learning for the National Farm to School Webinar, Cultivating Futures: Green Careers Begin with School Gardens.

You can view the webinar here and presentation slides here.

The School Gardens of Ohio School Garden Conference was held at The Ohio State University Waterman Farm in Columbus, Ohio. Green and Healthy Schools Director Cynthia Walters brought together a panel of experts from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Cincinnati Public Schools, Ohio State Extension, and the Mid-Ohio Collective Farm to discuss how Career-Technical Education is related to garden-based learning and how to leverage school garden positions and programming into a K-12 Agricultural Education pathway.

Here are some ways a school partner can connect an organization’s programming with Career Technical Education:

To learn more about how to increase training options for students by expanding green career pathways, contact cynthia@greenumbrella.org.

Let’s explore your role in school wellness and identify actionable steps as an internal or external school district partner! Be sure to check out the Local School Wellness Tool Kit. If you missed the newsletters that accompanied the release of the tool kit, they are linked here:

Six actionable items you can initiate now:

Green Drinks: Growing Green & Healthy Schools

November 20, 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Esoteric Brewing Co.

Join Green Umbrella and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful for our November edition of Green Drinks, an evening dedicated to celebrating and advancing green and healthy schools across the Greater Cincinnati region. This month’s event will highlight the work of Green Umbrella’s Green Schoolyards Action Network, a collaborative initiative to transform schoolyards into nature-rich outdoor learning spaces that support green workforce development, school community wellness, and climate resilience.

Come connect with fellow educators, nonprofit leaders, sustainability professionals, and community members who are helping create greener, healthier places for kids to learn and play.

Green & Healthy Schools 101 Webinar

December 16, 2025 | 3:30 - 4:30 pm

Green & Healthy Schools Director, Cynthia Walters will present models and frameworks for transforming green schoolyards, expanding career pathways, and developing district wellness networks to produce positive outcomes for improving the health of people and the planet. You will also hear from school district leaders and partner organizations who will share how collective impact has successfully brought projects to the finish line. Reserve your spot and register here.

Wellness Policy at Farm to School

December 1-4, 2025

Green Umbrella will lead an interactive session at the 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico! Hosted by the National Farm to School Network, this conference will be a powerful gathering of food systems and farm to institution leaders across the country. Cynthia will speak about Bridging Systems Thinking and Practice through the lens of the Local School Wellness Tool Kit she developed.

Green Umbrella is a member-based organization for businesses, local governments, non-profits, and institutions. Through membership, schools can receive support that will help their learning community connect with leaders on sustainability and climate action, make tangible improvements to their campus for student learning, and connect students with green career pathways.

Membership benefits include training and networking, marketing opportunities, resources, and technical support. Schools and school districts can become a Green Umbrella member at the Participating level at no cost.

Reply to this email to reach Cynthia. To learn more or for questions regarding membership, visit here or email membership@greenumbrella.org.