Earth Day at Concord International Elementary School
On Earth Day, April 22, 2024, Concord International Elementary School, Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Kraken, Seattle Storm, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seawolves, King County Play Equity Coalition and Seattle Parks Foundation joined together to demonstrate the broad community of support rallying around South Park through the investment in Puma Playfield. The event was an important step towards bringing environmental and play equity to this community, which has been impacted by the lack of green space open for free play.
To kick off the day of celebration, Seattle’s professional sports teams engaged students in a lively, all-school assembly complete with Seattle’s beloved professional sports team mascots. Students learned about the importance of caring for the environment and celebrated the new Puma Playfield coming to the Concord campus in 2025.
The assembly was followed by an after-school celebration where professional teams provided sports sampling activities, and multiple environmental education-based organizations offered Earth Day-related activities. Activities were offered by Duwamish River Community Coalition, Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association, EarthViews Conservation Society, the Environmental Protection Agency, Just Health Action, University of Washington (UW) Soil Sampling, and UW Digital Twin Sustainable Design.
Historically low investment has impacted the shape of South Park, a neighborhood with less green space than other parts of Seattle. Residents of South Park have an average of only 40 square feet of accessible open space, compared to the average of 387 square feet per resident within Seattle. South Park’s proximity to industrial activity, a highway that bisects the neighborhood and lack of tree canopy has resulted in unsafe pedestrian walkways, exposure to pollution, and other health inequities, including the highest child asthma rates in the city.
Concord International Elementary School is at the heart of the South Park neighborhood. The Concord PTA has been working since 2017 to transform the space around the school into a community asset, including the creation of a community plaza, outdoor classroom, ADA ramp and pollinator garden. The Puma Playfield Project is a community collaboration to reimagine the school’s playfield into a gathering space for healthy play and family connections. The project is in its final design and permitting phase before a Levy vote with the School District in early 2025 that will enable construction.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Earth Day with such tremendous support from Seattle’s professional sports teams and numerous community partners. This event not only marks the upcoming addition of the Puma Playfield but also symbolizes a significant investment in our community’s health and well-being. It’s a powerful example of what we can achieve when we come together to provide equitable, engaging, and educational opportunities for all our students. We look forward to seeing the joy and benefits this new playfield will bring to the children and families of South Park.”- Mr. Pierce, Concord International Elementary School Principal
“As a parent and longstanding member of the Concord PTA, it is so heartening to see this level of engagement from the larger Seattle community around our school, and the dedication of our partners to see the construction of Puma Playfield come to fruition. South Park is an underserved enclave of the city near the Duwamish Superfund site which has been historically neglected, so the investment and commitment we’re seeing to create an equitable, beautiful, vibrant playspace, custom-designed around our diverse community’s input, is as restorative as it is functional. I’m so excited for the impact of this renovation on the health, play, athletic, social, and recreational benefits for current and future generations of South Park families.” – Robin Maxwell, Concord PTA
Currently, the design plans are being reviewed by the City of Seattle for permitting. We urge Seattle Public School Board to support and include this project in the BEX VI Capital Levy. If the levy is passed in February 2025, Seattle Public Schools will work to have the project completed through a public/private partnership with Seattle Parks Foundation and partners, in Fall 2025.
Donate to contribute to the ongoing work with the Puma Playfield project.