SALT was commissioned by the School District of Philadelphia to strategically renovate the Joseph Pennell Schoolyard in the Bellfield neighborhood, an historically underserved area of North Philadelphia. Funded by the William Penn Foundation, a key component of this project was to advance literacy and learning goals and promote playful learning in public schoolyards Pennell serves over 400 students in grades K-5, and has a long-standing tradition of music, theater and performance. Through a multi-month engagement process with Mural Arts, students developed stories about play and learning to identify their ideal locations for site improvements and programming. The schoolyard concept that emerged from students was “Circles of Creativity and Care,” which refers to wholeness, life cycles, and connections. SALT’s ultimate schoolyard design organizes the site into six different program circles — Story, Learning, Performance, Sports, Active Play and Relaxation — to foster a variety of activities and social spaces for children and adults. Through vibrant color and circular geometry, the new schoolyard emphasizes movement — whether it is dance, drumming or dramatic expression — and creates playful spaces for creativity, learning and social connection.

Collaborators: Mural Arts Restored Spaces Initiative, David Mason + Associates, Rodriguez Consulting, Becker & Frondorf