In 2005, Albert Einstein Academies (AEA), the first elementary school in San Diego County to achieve an International Baccalaureate (IB) certificate, moved their German immersion program to the aging, 1950's era former Brooklyn Elementary school property in the inner city community of South Park. Soon after occupying the site, students, parents, and staff started a significant, non-public funded beautification of the campus and the surrounding streets. Started by a master plan prepared by two dads of AEA students, enthusiasm took root by the entire community, including families from all over the world. Programs and projects that ensued, included surrounding streetscape improvements, planting of organic gardens, a gardens of the world project, building of a greenhouse, turning a large gravel play area into a sodded sports field, painting of murals, planting of hundreds of new trees (a majority of which intentionally bore edible fruit), building of two pizza ovens, collaboration with local restaurants to support the neighborhood and develop healthy foods programs, creation of outdoor classroom space, and a complete restoration of a dilapidated adjacent community park site. AEA's campus beautification was a primary catalyst in the rediscovery of an aging San Diego neighborhood that has since been reinvigorated with new retail and restaurant development within blocks as a direct result of what the students, parents, and staff have just begun in South Park.

Project Information

Project Address: 

3031 Ash Street

Project Owner/ Developer: 

San Diego Unified School District

Owner Contact Name/ Email: 

Jeannette Vaughn, Principal / jvaughn@aeacs.com

Project Architect/ Designer: 

McCullough Landscape Architecture, Inc.

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