High Peaks/BCSIS Elementary Schools in Aurora7 Park
Landscape Updates
2025-2026
How can we make our schoolyards and park landscapes resilient to climate change,
while creating opportunities to engage students in outdoor learning,
and meet community needs?
Image: Courtesy of Garden to Table.
Project Overview
High Peaks and BCSIS Elementary Schools face challenges, like many other schools in our area, with low levels of tree canopy, limited landscape irrigation infrastructure, and constrained maintenance budgets.
Through key partnerships and grants, the schoolyard in the Aurora7 park area will undergo a landscape redesign and update to address these challenges. This pilot project will generate critical learning and guidance that can be applied across the school district.
Who is involved?
The City of Boulder and Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) have partnered to organize this pilot project with support from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and we can’t do it without you!
Our hope is that this project will be shaped by the students, parents, community members, and neighbors surrounding BCSIS/High Peaks Elementary and Aurora 7 Park.
What is the timeline?
Our first planting day happened on September 17! We added trees and native plants to the strip in front of the drop off lane.
The collaborative community design process has begun through Growing Up Boulder-led engagement with 3rd grade classes during the school day! There will be a design workshop for parents of students at 8am on October 16, and then from 3-5pm on October 26 there will be an in-person workshop open to all community members, plus a later virtual option! You can add your name to our email list to be notified about upcoming events by clicking here.
Full implementation will begin in Spring 2026.
What will it look like?
For the most part, the exact improvements and features will be chosen by you - the community!
It’s important to understand, however, that this is a landscape-only design project and can not include improvements to hardscape or other built infrastructure such as playgrounds, walkways, or structures that require foundations to be installed.
Image: Aerial view of BCSIS/High Peaks Elementary and Aurora7 Park, courtesy of Google Earth.
