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Common Ground Students Build a Healthier, More Sustainable School

  Joel Tolman           July 17, 2025

Wearing bright yellow safety vests, Aurelio, Claire, and Adriana lead their classmates across the narrow bridge that connects Common Ground High School's campus to the rest of the West Rock neighborhood. Hugging the guardrail, they are equipped with the tools they've assembled for the day's work: chalk, garbage pickers and bags, and homemade traffic signs sporting messages like "Sidewalks Coming Soon!!" Just thirty short minutes later, they...

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Barnard Environmental Science and Technology School

New Haven, CT
Lana Rowan, Environmental Theme Coach

Barnard is a Title 1 magnet school in New Haven, CT, with an environmental science theme.

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New Roots School

Ithaca, NY
Tina Nilsen-Hodges, Principal & Superintendent

New Roots Charter School is a small urban public high school in Ithaca, New York. Our mission to educate for sustainability and justice by fostering understanding of the human and natural history of our city and region, and creating strong, respectful working relationships between people of diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

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Waterbury Career Academy

Waterbury, CT
Elizabeth Pantoni, Spanish Teacher

Waterbury Career Academy (WCA) is an application-based public school housing grades 9-12 within the city of Waterbury. Only city residents can attend the school so all of our students reside within the city of Waterbury. The school opened its doors in 2013 with a focus on four career strands: IT, Health, Human Services, and Manufacturing. Our goal is to prepare students for colleges and careers within their strand. The school currently houses 792 students, and we hope to help our students make interdisciplinary connections both in school and within our city community through this project.

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Brennan Rogers Magnet School

New Haven, CT
Kimberly Daniley, Principal

Brennan-Rogers School is a community of learners that is committed to ensuring that all students are prepared to achieve at their maximum capacity with the competencies and character to complete college or pursue the career path of their choice while serving as meaningful citizens of their communities.

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Common Ground High School

New Haven, CT
Joel Tolman, Project Director, Teaching Our Cities

Common Ground High School -- the nation's longest-running environmental charter school -- is committed to growing a new, more diverse generation of successful college students and powerful environmental leaders. Common Ground is located on 20 acres of city park land, and also operates an urban farm and community environmental center.

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Bishop Woods Architecture & Design Magnet School

New Haven, CT
Cara Campo, Assistant Principal

Bishop Woods is a K-8, Title 1 public magnet school located in New Haven, CT, with an architecture and design theme.

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Edgewood Creative Thinking Through STEAM Magnet School

New Haven, CT
Holly Smith, Magnet Resource Teacher

Edgewood Creative Thinking through STEAM Magnet School is a K-8 New Haven Magnet School of Choice in New Haven, CT. Edgewood’s mission is to provide a nurturing environment in which all students will reach their full social and academic potential and become responsible citizens and lifelong learners.

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Broadview Middle School

Danbury, CT
Sue Mills, Teacher

Broadview Middle School is a grade 6-8 school set in an urban city neighborhood next to Danbury Hospital.

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Elm City Montessori School

New Haven, CT
David Weinreb, Magnet Resource Teacher

Elm City Montessori School is a racially and economically diverse New Haven public elementary school serving PreK-3 through 8th grade. It is New Haven’s first public Montessori school, and Connecticut’s only local charter school.

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Boston Green Academy

Brighton, MA
Dave Kramer, Director of Green Programs & Partnerships

Boston Green Academy welcomes diverse students of all abilities, educates and empowers them to succeed in college and career, and prepares them to lead in the sustainability of our community and world.

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Connecticut River Academy

East Hartford, CT
Heather Jacobi, Curriculum Coach

Connecticut River Academy at Goodwin College is a magnet high school located along the Connecticut River in East Hartford. CTRA's sustainability theme provides hands-on learning in environmental studies and advanced manufacturing. CTRA also offers unique college and career experiences, including the opportunity to earn tuition free college credits.

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The Greene School

West Greenwich, RI
Lara Haggerty, Science Teacher

The Greene School embraces an educational discipline of 'learn-by-doing.' Known as EL Education (Expeditionary Learning), our approach is rooted in the idea that learning is active, challenging, meaningful, public, and collaborative. Our students grow academically and socially, become environmental stewards.

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Teaching Our Cities

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Rooting Urban Public Schools In Their Urban Environments

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Common Ground Students Build a Healthier, More Sustainable School
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Dive into a collection of practices that help our cities' young people grow into powerful leaders & successful students.

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Hear voices and stories from our partner schools, project staff, and advisors.

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Visit urban public schools that are embracing the urban environments that they and their students call home.

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Meet Our Schools
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Explore Our Practices
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Learn About the Project
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Explore Our Practices

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Read Our Blog

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Meet Our Schools

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Learn about authentic projects and learning experiences, helping students meet high academic expectations through real work connected to their urban environments. Starting in 2022, and growing in 2024, this collection of learning experiences is documented through a joint effort of Common Ground's Schoolyards Program, K-12 schools across New England, and Teaching Our Cities.