BSI, in collaboration with private funders, the City of Boston and Boston Public Schools, uses a community participatory design process to change neglected and unwelcome schoolyards into centers for active school and community use.
After comprehensive site assessments and outreach to stakeholders including community residents, environmental groups, educators and city officials, a Task Force under leadership of Mayor Thomas Menino recommended the establishment of BSI.
The private sector part of the BSI partnerships is a group of philanthropies called the Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative.
[2] Professional development workshops and the writing of curriculum are used by BSI to connect programs in science and literacy to the Schoolyard and Outdoor Classroom.
Both the schoolyard and Outdoor Classroom have been shown to be a valuable expansion of the learning environment in Boston Public Schools.