PITTSBURGH – October 30, 2025 – Officials from Pittsburgh Public Schools, the PNC Foundation and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, along with dozens of early childhood center students and their families, gathered yesterday to celebrate the completion of a new natural play space and outdoor classroom at PPS’ Spring Garden Early Childhood Center in Pittsburgh.
The 6,000-square-foot outdoor learning and natural play space transforms a former asphalt parking lot into a vibrant, nature-inspired environment that supports play-based learning for the school’s six classrooms serving children ages 3 to 5 years. The space, which features pollinator-friendly plants–including six new trees and 40 native ornamental switchgrasses–encourages exploration, creativity and hands-on learning by allowing children to engage with the natural world around them.
Students will be able to engage with many play elements and features, including a hillside amphitheater, mud kitchen, project tables, play bridge, chalk zone, planter boxes, and a colorful art fence featuring flowers, bugs and rainbows. The project was made possible through PNC Grow Up Great®, which has collaborated with the Conservancy since 2012 to support its school grounds greening program, creating 13 natural play spaces at PPS’ Early Childhood Centers.
“At Pittsburgh Public Schools, we know that play is the work of early learning,” says PPS Superintendent Wayne N. Walters, EdD. “Spaces like this natural outdoor classroom show what is possible when the community comes together to support our youngest learners. We are deeply grateful to PNC Grow Up Great and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for helping us reimagine what learning can look like and for creating spaces where curiosity takes root and joy blossoms.”
The Conservancy’s Senior Director of Community Greening Art DeMeo says funding from PNC Grow Up Great has greatly expanded WPC’s school grounds greening efforts.
“Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is honored to work with these great partners to provide our region’s young children with fun and educational activities in natural surroundings and green play areas at their schools,” says DeMeo.
This is the PNC Foundation’s 21st year of providing funds through PNC Grow Up Great®, PNC’s signature philanthropic initiative, which has helped to prepare more than 10 million children from birth through age 5 for success in school and in life.
“A growing body of research shows that outdoor play and learning improves children’s health and wellbeing, language development and more,” says Sally McCrady, chair and president of the PNC Foundation. “Spring Garden is one of our longtime partner centers participating in PNC Grow Up Great, and we’re so excited for the opportunities this new outdoor space will bring for the young learners here.”
The ribbon cutting on October 29 was followed by PPS’ Trunk or Treat Celebration, which featured a pumpkin patch and decorating station sponsored by Giant Eagle, a story walk, mascot visits, selfie stations, and other seasonal activities. The Trunk or Treat Celebration was one of three being held across PPS this week in recognition of the many powerful partnerships supporting the PPS’ youngest learners.
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About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces and thousands of trees that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers. The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.
About American Water: American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,700 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.
About Pennsylvania American Water: Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.4 million people.
Media Contacts:
WPC
Carmen Bray
Senior Director of Communications
412-586-2358, work
cbray@paconserve.org
PNC
Angie Carducci, Senior Communications Lead
412-762-9186
angela.carducci@pnc.com