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| Project Name: |
Perking Up the Perkins Playground
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| Project Purpose (Include city and state): |
Perkins Elementary School serves approximately 460 students in Des Moines, Iowa (50311). The majority of students at Perkins are low-income (61% of students) and/or minority (52% of students), and many (33% of students) are learning English as a second language. Perkins has an amazing outdoor campus that is used by students, staff, and the community to promote healthy, active living. The campus consists of a school garden; covered picnic area; walking track; soccer field; blacktop area for basketball, tetherball, and foursquare; and separate play equipment for younger students (grades K-2) and older students (grades 3-5).
As academic leaders, we know that children love to play; they enjoy hopping, skipping, chasing, climbing, and hiding. On paper, the Perkins playground sounds like every child’s dream. In reality, there are issues with the playground that prevent it from being a safe space that truly promotes outdoor activity and healthy lifestyles. The condition of the playground equipment is less than suitable for play. The playground equipment for the older students is timeworn and dilapidated. In fact, one piece has already been removed due to safety concerns, and we feel more will likely follow. The safety tiles under the equipment for the younger students is buckling, making some of the space unusable. In addition, the basketball hoops are run down and deteriorating, and the tetherball polls have lost both the tethers and balls, leaving only forlorn polls in the ground, discouraging play.
The purpose of this project is to provide safe, appealing, and purposeful playground equipment that will encourage the children and adults in our community to get outside and play! Presently, every child participates in PE for 100+ minutes per week. The PE curriculum is aligned to the SPARK program, which has been honored as a research-based exemplary program by the US Department of Education. However, we believe teaching and learning are not limited to the classroom; education can also take place on the playground. Free time play provided during recess reinforces healthy habits learned in the classroom and helps children develop life-long, healthy habits. At Perkins, we feel that it is essential to provide an environment that supports children as they learn to lead healthy, productive lives. A quality playground provides social benefits as well. For example, children learn the art of collaboration. On the playground, children learn how to interact, play, and socialize with all types of people; they also learn how to take turns and exercise self-control. It is inspiring to watch new kindergarteners grow socially throughout the year.
With a “Wellmark 75” grant, we will purchase and install new playground equipment for the children of Perkins Elementary School. We--parents and educators--want both students and members of the community to be excited to come to Perkins to play; we want to encourage play and to encourage healthy activities.
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| City: |
Des Moines
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| Project Location: |
Des Moines, Iowa
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| Project Website: |
http://perkins.dmschools.org/
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| Target population and how they will benefit: |
Our vision for this project is not restricted to just Perkins students. In addition to use by students during school, the Perkins playground is a draw for the entire community. This project will benefit a range of citizens who live on the northwest side of Des Moines; people travel across town to visit our playground. The school campus also has a history of serving the community as a park, soccer field, and baseball field. It is one of the few places children and families have for recreation in the area. Compared to the rest of the city, the northwest sector of Des Moines is underserved, with few park areas for play and exercise. In fact, Des Moines Ward 1, which encompasses the area Perkins serves, has only 82 acres of parkland, or 2 acres per 1,000 persons, compared to the national standard of 6-10 acres per 1,000 persons. Because of this, you will witness families and kids playing, exercising, and playing sports every day at Perkins--even on the coldest days in winter. Kids come to Perkins to sled down hills, build snowmen, or run around the track. They slide slides, climb, run, and most importantly, spend time being active outdoors.
The goal of the Perkins community is to support students and families on a lifelong, healthy journey. Nearly one-third of children and teens, more than 23 million kids, are overweight or obese, and inactivity is a leading contributor to this epidemic. One study found that the average child spends less than 10 minutes a day outside. We want to create a space that provides opportunities for physical activity and encourages children to go outside and play. Outdoor play is a terrific way to improve the health and wellness of children. Children who play outdoors have lower stress levels, more success in school, and fewer ADHD symptoms. Simply being out in the sunlight triggers skin to make vitamin D; studies suggest that this vitamin helps fight certain conditions, including cancer and depression. We believe that providing a place to have active, physical fun can promote two things. First, children have the innate power of persuasion to entice their parents to follow their lead to get outside and play, which will encourage adult physical activity. Secondly, developing an active lifestyle at a young age can decrease future chances of developing heart problems, hypertension, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and more.
In addition, there is substantial research that describes the connection between physical activity and cognition, or the development of the brain through physical activity. Cognitive scientists and physiologists have compared the academic achievement of physically active kids who are with inactive children. Studies revealed that “exercise is highly correlated with neurogenesis, the production of new brain cells.” So be happy when you hear a child say that recess is their favorite subject; it can be another important strategy in helping children think and learn better in the classroom!
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| Why your project deserves the funds: |
On the inside, Perkins is one of the top elementary schools in Des Moines. Parents and students are proud of their school. We want the same feeling to be reflected on the outside of our school, as well. It is our plan to connect this project with and upcoming building renovation that will add four additional classrooms to the east end of the school. The construction project has an initial projected completion date of August 2015.
To achieve a fully realized vision for the school playground, there will be a concerted effort from our internal and external community to raise funds for this project. A playground replacement typically costs between $45,000 and $60,000. Extras such as a walking track cost even more. We are fortunate that several elements--such as the walking track, school garden, and shaded picnic area--are in good shape and do not need replacement. Additionally, the school district is providing Perkins with $20,000 in district funds for the playground replacement, and the Perkins PTA has committed to raising $10,000 for the project. We hope to raise an additional $2,500 from local businesses. A “Wellmark 75” grant of $7,500 will be instrumental in helping us reach our goal of raising $40,000. While this may seem like a lofty goal, it is attainable. Perkins parents are a determined group who really step up to a fundraising challenge, and they will persevere to achieve this goal. There is a definite sense of urgency amongst our constituents to renovate the school playground into a safer, more engaging space. Our children deserve it.
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| Project Timing: |
The playground renovation will be completed in conjunction with the upcoming school renovation project. The plans for the renovation project are being finalized, and it is projected that work will be completed by August 2015. Consequently, we also anticipate that all work on the playground replacement project will be completed by August 2015 as well, if not sooner. |
| State: |
Iowa
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| Organization Name: |
Perkins Elementary School
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