Did you ever have a school assignment growing a seedling? Did you ever do that on the roof of your school building? There is a bill in Congress that could make this a reality for our country’s learners. Not only that, it would help mitigate climate change, reduce the urban heat island, create jobs, and grow our economy for generations to come.

An anonymous, informal green roof survey completed by 160 students of P.S. 41 in New York City demonstrates the green roof's valuable emotional, social, and educational benefits, even compared to the lower-level playground.

In March 2010, P.S.41 in NYC, opened the Green Roof Environmental Literacy Laboratory, a 15,000 square foot sedum and native plant green roof The first outdoor learning space of its kind in NYC benefits children with activities from skyline drawings to insect research projects.

In 2020, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez introduced legislation proposing a $500 million investment to green the rooftops of our public schools. We measure and value the potential benefits and quantify the job-creation impacts of this transformative investment.