La Escuela Fratney Green and Healthy Schools
Donation protected
Help the students of La Escuela Fratney turn their “paved” playground into a green space to better meet the school’s and community’s recreational, environmental and educational needs.
La Escuela Fratney was created in 1988 through a community struggle and became Wisconsin’s first two-way bilingual school (Spanish/English). The school community is committed to social justice, anti-racist, project-based education that weaves together music, art, physical education, and children’s literature. The K4 – 5th grade school was built in 1903 and was expanded and extensively remodeled in 2007 after a successful community campaign. Check out this 30 second video to get a feel for our school.
The redevelopment of the playground [full plan ] will provide new green spaces for Fratney students and all neighborhood children and residents to play and enjoy, adding value to our multiracial community.
Spanish Brochure English Brochure
What’s the plan?
La Escuela Fratney’s conceptual plan calls for removal of approximately 14,920 square feet of asphalt and replacing it with new green space and mixed-use recreation and educational areas. The design includes a new outdoor classroom and an expanded sensory garden that provides habitat for a variety of pollinator species. The inclusion of a variety of native plantings allows for unique spaces on the schoolyard that can represent natural Wisconsin ecosystems, complete with student-created signage. The vision also includes a potential future rainwater harvesting system to further manage stormwater by diverting rainwater into an underground cistern. The plan manages approximately 30,573 gallons of stormwater per rain event.
Who planned this? Who’s supporting this green effort?
The staff, parents and students of Fratney, along with neighborhood residents, Reflo Sustainable Water Solutions, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District, Fund for Lake Michigan, Green Schools Consortium, Arts at Large, MPS Foundation, Cream City Conservation Corp, and the Milwaukee Public Schools. Planning started during the 2018-2019 school year.
What’s the Cost?
The original budget was significantly trimmed given the difficulties of raising money during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some features have been postponed until after the initial redevelopment construction that is scheduled for August of 2021. The revised budget goal is $378,500. Of that amount $286,000 has been raised or pledged leaving $92,500 to be raised by December 31, 2020. A couple of other grant possibilities and fundraising efforts are still pending. We have launched this Go Fund Me campaign to raise $10,000 (or more) to help reach our overall goal. Donations are tax-deductable.
How can you help?
Make a donation and leave a comment. Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same. Also, share this campaign to your social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. – by copying and posting this url and by adding a personal appeal.
The students of La Escuela Fratney say Thank you!
La Escuela Fratney was created in 1988 through a community struggle and became Wisconsin’s first two-way bilingual school (Spanish/English). The school community is committed to social justice, anti-racist, project-based education that weaves together music, art, physical education, and children’s literature. The K4 – 5th grade school was built in 1903 and was expanded and extensively remodeled in 2007 after a successful community campaign. Check out this 30 second video to get a feel for our school.
The redevelopment of the playground [full plan ] will provide new green spaces for Fratney students and all neighborhood children and residents to play and enjoy, adding value to our multiracial community.
Spanish Brochure English Brochure
What’s the plan?
La Escuela Fratney’s conceptual plan calls for removal of approximately 14,920 square feet of asphalt and replacing it with new green space and mixed-use recreation and educational areas. The design includes a new outdoor classroom and an expanded sensory garden that provides habitat for a variety of pollinator species. The inclusion of a variety of native plantings allows for unique spaces on the schoolyard that can represent natural Wisconsin ecosystems, complete with student-created signage. The vision also includes a potential future rainwater harvesting system to further manage stormwater by diverting rainwater into an underground cistern. The plan manages approximately 30,573 gallons of stormwater per rain event.
Who planned this? Who’s supporting this green effort?
The staff, parents and students of Fratney, along with neighborhood residents, Reflo Sustainable Water Solutions, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District, Fund for Lake Michigan, Green Schools Consortium, Arts at Large, MPS Foundation, Cream City Conservation Corp, and the Milwaukee Public Schools. Planning started during the 2018-2019 school year.
What’s the Cost?
The original budget was significantly trimmed given the difficulties of raising money during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some features have been postponed until after the initial redevelopment construction that is scheduled for August of 2021. The revised budget goal is $378,500. Of that amount $286,000 has been raised or pledged leaving $92,500 to be raised by December 31, 2020. A couple of other grant possibilities and fundraising efforts are still pending. We have launched this Go Fund Me campaign to raise $10,000 (or more) to help reach our overall goal. Donations are tax-deductable.
How can you help?
Make a donation and leave a comment. Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same. Also, share this campaign to your social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. – by copying and posting this url and by adding a personal appeal.
The students of La Escuela Fratney say Thank you!
Organizer
Veronica Leshok
Organizer
Milwaukee, WI
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