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This grant request is a cooperative project between Juneau Glacier Valley Rotary, Juneau-Gastineau Rotary and Juneau Rotary. Juneau-Gastineau Rotary will take the lead with regard to project coordination of the district grant funds. Glacier Valley Rotary will take the lead with regard to project accounting. Club members from all three clubs will be involved with implementation of the project.
The purpose of this project is to install playground equipment at Riverbend Elementary School. The current playground has been in place since the school opened in the mid-90's. Several pieces have been removed due to safety concerns and the remaining equipment is insufficient to meet the needs of the 300 students, PK-5th grade who attend the school.
In addition to the school population, Riverbend playground serves increasingly as a hub of community activity. Within the last 10 years, a new high school and a new swimming pool have opened in close proximity to Riverbend Elementary. A new library will open later this year. These new facilities are in addition to ball fields and a field house nearby. During after-school and summer breaks, the school continues to be heavily used for special programs. A low-income housing complex in the neighborhood serves approximately 80 families. All told, the Riverbend Elementary playground will serve a large percentage of the 2,000 PK-5th grade students in Juneau.
Studies have shown that exercise is essential for children to learn, to maintain their health and to lead productive lives. Discipline data collected at Riverbend Elementary shows that almost half of discipline referrals come from use of the playground, which is believed to stem from inadequate facilities for students to use.
The three Juneau Rotary Clubs began working with Riverbend Elementary administrators and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) several months ago. The working group has been reaching out to local businesses and PTO supporters to raise funds for this project. Our initial fundraising efforts are showing success. Combining funds from various sources, including the DDF and match, we hope to have $40-60,000 to spend on the playground, which will have a very positive impact on the playground.
Currently, we are in contact with three playground equipment vendors for quotes and specifications. Riverbend Elementary staff and PTO members are being asked to weigh in with regard to their preferences for the new equipment. We are also working with school district maintenance and borough personnel to ensure that safety concerns are addressed, including final inspections before use of the playground by students.
Several objectives for the new equipment have emerged:
• additional equipment for upper elementary students - the largest remaining play structures in the current playground are more appropriate for lower elementary grades
• more updated "fun" structures, such as a new climbing structure and/or spinners; these items exist at other playgrounds across town, but not at Riverbend
Items have been identified that meet the above objectives, and final decisions will be made by early summer, based on our final total budget and the input of all parties. With a 3-6 week leadtime, we expect to have the equipment installed by late summer/early fall, 2015.
Rotarians from all three clubs (nearly 200 total members) will have the opportunity to participate in site prep and installation of the new equipment. We are excited to be able to collaborate in this way to have a real impact in our local community!
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