After several successful pilot programs throughout the state, this statewide grant program was established to provide school districts that serve low-income communities to apply for funding to transform portions of existing pavement on school grounds to green space.

The Natural Resources Agency, a cabinet-level government agency in the state of California, will establish the procedures to allocate grants, which includes deciding a maximum amount for each grant, eligible uses of the grant, and outlines reporting requirements. Schools that have higher numbers of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch and schools where the majority of the playground is pavement will be prioritized. Grants provided by the Natural Resources Agency are reliant on the appropriation of funds in the annual Budget Act.

Green spaces that would qualify for grant funding could include items such as a garden and a gardening program with educational programming that includes science, math, and literacy through experiential learning.