18% of Atlanta residents can’t walk to a park. New federal money will try to fix that.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Hundreds of thousands in new federal funding is coming to Atlanta Public Schools for a project that will not just impact students at local schools, but their surrounding communities as well.

Through a partnership with the Trust for Public Land, local and federal leaders in Atlanta announced $700,000 in congressionally directed spending to support future community schoolyards projects.

Since 2020, previous rounds of similar funding have helped 14 other Atlanta Public Schools convert unused areas into playgrounds and green space for students and public access.

The newest recipients of the new funding are Crawford W. Long Middle School and Fitch Elementary School.

“It means hope. It means a belief. A belief in the community,” said Long Middle School Principal Carla McCall-McCou. “It provides you with a safe space, not just somewhere to go outside, but a safe space to congregate.”

A now-vacant lot adjacent to the middle school will eventually transform into a space that will be accessible to the surrounding community even during non-school hours.

McCall-McCou said across metro Atlanta, an estimated 18% of residents don’t live within a 10 minute walk of a green space or park.

McCall-McCou said she’d like to see some playground equipment, open areas, covered spaces and maybe even some workout equipment go in, but it’s not necessarily up to her.

A STEAM school that uses a lot of technology in their education, Long Middle students will be the ones designing and rendering the final plans for the green space, including what goes in it.

“Our scholars are going to have the opportunity to think critically and also problem solve in a space they will be utilizing,” said McCall-McCou. “This is going to be very beneficial instructional wise, social-emotional wise, mentally and physically.”

A pep rally at Long Middle was held Wednesday to present the new funding for the upcoming project. Students cheered as lawmakers, school officials and their fellow classmates hoisted a giant check that will soon turn an unassuming lot next to their school, into a precious community resource.

“And this space won’t just serve students during the school day. It can become a resource for the entire community,” said Georgia Congresswoman Nikema Williams. “When we have outdoor spaces, we have the ability to connect with the environment. We have the ability to have greater outcomes in, not just in our school children, but our communities.”