ASU's Canopy for Kids plants a seed in successful first year

By Loretta Lyken

The inaugural year of Arizona State University's Canopy for Kids has officially concluded, and the results demonstrate the power of student-driven environmental action.

Through the program, students investigated heat challenges on their campuses, explored the benefits of urban tree canopy and developed solutions to create cooler, healthier school environments.

During the Final Celebration Showcase on June 3, participating schools shared their projects, research and community engagement efforts. Schools from across Phoenix presented their findings and highlighted the ways students became advocates for climate resilience, shade equity and sustainable schoolyards. Participating schools included:

• BioScience High School
• Catalina Ventura
• Clarendon Elementary School
• Larry C. Kennedy Elementary School
• Peralta Elementary
• Phoenix International Academy
• Shaw Montessori School
• St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School

The program reached approximately 3,976 students, trained 29 teachers and staff members, and resulted in the installation of 257 native trees and plants, including desert willow, ironwood, palo verde, screwbean mesquite, palo blanco, desert hackberry, deergrass and other pollinator-friendly species.

The impact was evident through students’ enthusiasm and the community’s engagement.

"Our students are so excited to be at Larry C. Kennedy,” shared Evan Johnson, assistant principal at Larry C. Kennedy Elementary School. “They're eager to participate, and that sense of ownership is incredibly important. It can be difficult to get kids to come to school, but programs like this are what truly bring students in and keep them engaged."

The first cohort's work can be explored through student-created story maps and showcase presentations that document their learning journeys, research findings and campus improvement ideas. Explore the GIS story maps for four of the participating schools:

• Larry C. Kennedy Elementary  School
• Phoenix International Academy
• St Vincent de Paul Catholic School
• Clarendon Elementary School

Through the opportunity to interact with their local environments and improve their community, students felt pride in their contributions, and parents also recognized the long-term value of the work.

"Trees are our future, just like our kids are our future,” said Amelia, a parent volunteer from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School. “If we love our kids, we want them to live in a world with fresh air and trees. ... The more green we have, the better it is for our kids and their future."

The program is a partnership between the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Teachers Academy at ASU, the city of Phoenix Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, and Watershed Management Group. Together, these organizations are helping schools address extreme heat while empowering students to become leaders in building more resilient communities.

Applications are now open for the 2026–27 Canopy for Kids cohort. Nine schools will be selected to participate in the second year of the program, which will continue through 2029.