Woodland Joint Unified School District invites students, families, staff, and community members to an exciting public event showcasing the transformative new outdoor “Cool School” designs for five elementary schools.

All members of the community are invited to attend on Saturday, March 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Whitehead Elementary School at 624 W. Southwood Dr. in Woodland. Volunteer tree planting starts at 8:30 a.m. before the celebration; there will be free tacos, rice and beans, fun nature activities and games, and family-friendly entertainment for all attending.

Thanks to a generous grant from CAL FIRE and the expertise of Texas Trees Foundation’s Cool Schools Yolo Program, Beamer, Dingle, Freeman, Prairie and Whitehead elementary schools will soon feature enhanced outdoor learning and play areas.

According to a WJUSD press release, the Cool Schools Yolo Program aims to improve the educational experience by increasing tree canopies and creating shaded outdoor learning spaces so students can learn and play outside, even during the hot season.

Currently, California schools average just 9% tree coverage. Through the “Cool Schools Yolo County” initiative, tree canopies at the five WJUSD elementary schools will expand up to 30%, significantly cooling campuses by up to 15 degrees during hot summer days and reducing air conditioning costs.

Local tree-planting organizations, Woodland Tree Foundation and Tree Davis, have partnered with Texas Trees Foundation to bring this initiative to life. Students, families and staff contributed valuable input to the design process to ensure the new spaces meet their needs.

The Woodland Tree Foundation has been holding tree-planting events at each of the schools in preparation for the start of the main projects.

“This initiative represents a remarkable step forward in improving our outdoor school environments and enhances our Measure Y bond facility upgrades,” said WJUSD Superintendent Elodia Ortega-Lampkin. “By bringing more trees and natural shade to our campuses, we are creating healthier, more engaging spaces for our students to learn and play. We are grateful for the partnerships that bring more resources to help improve facilities for our students, and we’re excited to share these plans with our community.”

The construction of these innovative outdoor environments is set to begin this summer. For more information, visit coolschoolsyolo.org.