RiverSmart Schools

The RiverSmart Schools program is a collaborative effort between the Anacostia Watershed Society and the District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). This schoolyard greening program focuses on both creating green space on school grounds while also connecting teachers and students to that green space, and the Anacostia Watershed as a whole.

Each year DDOE selects five schools from the District to join this exciting program. Schools interested in participating in the program can access the application here. If selected, schools receive professional development and schoolyard greening projects installed on their campuses. Sample projects include rain gardens, raised beds, pollinator gardens, and cisterns.

These innovative schoolyard greening projects focus on incorporating landscape design principles that create habitat for wildlife, emphasize the use of native plants, highlight water conservation, and/or retain and filter stormwater runoff, while having the added benefits of an outdoor classroom that supports effective teaching practices and promotes student learning. These projects teach gardening and community service skills, provide wildlife habitat, improve the aesthetics of school grounds, and build student and community pride.

Program at a Glance

• Engages District of Columbia Public Schools staff in professional development workshops and design and installation of outdoor learning features at schools
• Offered year round

More Information

For more information about this program, please contact our Director of River Restoration Programs, Kendra Bierman, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..