The Greening Lea project began with installation of this pilot planting bed. (Photo courtesy West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools)

Now here’s an enormous chance to help a neighborhood public school transform their playground from a swath of asphalt to a green area. The Henry C. Lea Elementary School is one of 10 finalists for a $75,000 Green School Makeover grant from Global Green USA. The school has been selected out of hundreds of entries from across the country!

The 2nd Green School Makeover Competition will award a $75,000 cash prize and a $5,000 Office Depot gift card to one K-12 school in the U.S. for an innovative green school project. The winner will also receive technical assistance from Global Green USA’s team of green schools/green building experts.

Organizers from the Henry C. Lea School (4700 Locust St.) hope to transform the school’s play area into a green and healthy environment. Currently, the school’s primary play space is a barren asphalt lot devoid of benches, greenery and shade. In addition to a new school garden that would provide an outdoor area for science classes to do planting, the school plans a new recycling program and the installation of rooftop solar panels. For more information on the Greening Lea project visit this page  or contact Julie Scott at jscott1225@verizon.net

To vote for Lea please follow the link below, select Lea’s entry at the bottom left and click “Submit.”

http://globalgreen.org/gsmctop10

The project proposes transforming the school playground into a green environment.