Mapleton students at several district schools will soon be able to run, climb, jump and play on newly constructed playgrounds thanks to grant dollars awarded to the district last year.
“Our community has great needs. One of those needs is to find ways to provide safe play spaces for our kids,” said Mapleton’s Chief Communications Officer Whei Wong. “The grants allow us to either place new playscapes in areas that had none prior, or to vastly improve on the old, unsafe equipment in dire need of repair.”
According to Wong, the district received more than $1.8 million in grants for playground improvement during the last school year. The district received a total of four grants for five new playgrounds as a result of grant money.
“Budget constraints on school districts really limit our ability to address issues that are not directly related to instruction for kids in classrooms,” said Superintendent Charlotte Ciancio. “Strong partnerships that bring grant funds into districts are critical.”
All of the playgrounds are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, according to Wong, which means they will be accessible to children with physical disabilities. These newly constructed playgrounds will also further facilitate physical, social, emotional and intellectual development for the district’s children, she said.
The first playgrounds to open as a part of the grant awards will be Clayton Partnership and York International schools. Both are scheduled to open this month.
Part of the success of the district in the grant process was the employment of a full-time grant writer for the district, said Wong.
“Mapleton Public Schools is always looking for grant opportunities that fit with our district mission and support a positive learning environment for our students,” Wong said. “We have been very fortunate to have wonderful partnerships in our community that allow us to go for these sorts of grants. The benefits are immeasurable and help us provide the support to our students and families that they need.”
The district is still looking for grants to improve student’s outdoor recreational experience in other schools throughout the district, according to Wong.
“We do have other playground needs and will continue to apply for grant dollars to support play and other needs throughout the district,” she said.
Mapleton will have a Community Build Day on Saturday to put the finishing touches on the new York International playground. York International is at 9200 York St. in Thornton, and the event will be from 8-10 a.m.
Schools to receive new or updated playgrounds:
1) The funding for the demolition and replacement of the Clayton playground (K-8), opening this month, and the construction of a new play space at Mapleton Toddler Program, came from a $166,643 grant from the Colorado Health Foundation. The location and opening date for the Mapleton Toddler Program has yet to be decided.
2) York International (K-12), opening August 2011, received $150,000 in grant funding from the Tri-County Health Department and the Communities Putting Prevention to Work Program for the installation of a new playground at York International.
3) Tri-County Health Department and the Communities Putting Prevention to Work Program also provided $49,995 for the construction of a new playground at Global Leadership Academy (K-12), opening spring 2012.
4) The funds for the final project to be completed next summer at the Bertha Heid Campus, which includes both Explore Academy and Achieve Academy, were provided by a Great Outdoors Colorado grant for $199,974. This grant includes the removal of old and outdate equipment and installation of new equipment and surfacing.