An outdoor challenge

In search of the 'ugliest schoolyard'

Jim Lynch / The Detroit News

Detroit -- It's not that the schoolyard at the Nsoroma Institute is awful, but there's always room for improvement.

With that in mind, administration officials and students at the institute on Detroit's east side are participating in the Ugliest Schoolyard Competition and Greener Schools Initiative.

"We have a schoolyard here that certainly could use a lot of improvements in terms of aesthetics and in terms of the functionality of the space," said Malik Yakini, the institute's director.

The quest for ugliness is a program put together by the East Michigan Environmental Action Council, and on Thursday, the organization came to Nsoroma for the kickoff. Public schools and charter schools in Detroit can participate and compete for $10,000 in funding to renovate their schoolyard as well as create an outdoor classroom.

To win, schools must prove they have the ugliest yard and show they are willing to sustain their outdoor program.

"Outdoor classrooms are places to grow native species gardens; cook, eat and sell local food; display environmental art projects and installations; learn and play outdoors; test soil and air quality; help young people develop a stronger sense of ownership and connection to nature, school and community -- all around placed based education!" said Lizzy Baskerville, EMEAC's Greener Schools Director, in a press release.

For the kids Yakini oversees, sustaining such a program shouldn't be a problem.

"We have a long history of environmental stewardship at this school as well as teaching urban gardening," Yakini said. Detroit schools are encouraged to join the program.

Students from those schools will be involved in designing their own outdoor classroom.

For more information about the contest, visit the EMEAC's Web site at: www.emeac.org.

jlynch@detnews.com (313) 222-2034