VOTE NOW!!!!

Hi Everyone! VOTE NOW for playground designs on our facebook page, just search Project Playground: Lynedoch Primary School and "like" your favorite design. Special thanks to Hannah Massey for all her hard work designing the layouts and making all this possible!

Updates!

Hello Everyone!

I want to send a big thank you out to all of our donors who have contributed so generously to our cause. It is truly amazing to see what a difference people can make in a small community from great distances away. The LSCE class too has been working hard to spread the word of Project Playground through Facebook, emails, and a student-generated commercial: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=197062290317325&oid=192358130798567&comments. Within the next few weeks we will be working together with the community to clear the land the playground will sit on and the designs will be finalized by the end of this week! Thank you again to all of our donors!

Best,

Katy

DONATIONS!

Hi Everyone! I opened a bank account for Project Playground yesterday at First National Bank and we are now able to accept donations! As you can see we are collecting donations for a variety of sub-projects we will be working on. We have decided to break it up this way in order to offer more options for our supporters. Whether you are an individual wanting to contribute to the Jungle Gym or a group wanting to sponsor the Athletic Supplies your goal is possible! More specific donation projects will be added as we finalize layouts and pricing so stay tuned. Thank you to all those who have supported us so far, we are truly making a difference. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information on funding/donations.

Best,

Katy

Surveys, Banks, & Jungle Gyms

Hey everyone! Yesterday we went to Lynedoch to survey the students on what they would like to see on the playground and the results were very exciting! For Grades 1 and 2 the teachers gave us a good idea of what they would like to see for their students. For the older grades though we got them involved by taking a show of hands for ideas we had and then asked them to contribute their own suggestions. We heard everything from a jumping castle to a swimming pool to a tree house and it was so great to see them excited about the idea of a playground. There were so many suggestions for the jungle gym that we have a firm understanding of what to include but the current debate is whether we should purchase a pre-assembled jungle gym or build one ourselves using in-kind donations and purchasing additional supplies. We'll have a better idea of the best course of action once we've evaluated the financial aspects of the project. There is also an area of the lot that can be used as an athletic field. Since one sport didn't win out over the others, it seems that we'll be working on making it a multipurpose field with lines and goals for soccer, rugby, and cricket and then set a goal to collect as much sports equipment as we can. There is also a space that could fit a small stage where the students could put on plays and the school could host performances. Given the number of different projects going on at once, it seems it might make sense to divide our funding strategies into three categories: jungle gym, performance stage, and athletic fields. This way those donating could contribute to their area of interest and see a positive change their truly invested  in. I went to the bank today to inquire about opening an account for the playground but in order to do so we would need a number of additional permits to what we currently have. Instead I will be opening a student account on Monday strictly for playground donations that will be attached to a Paypal account. Unfortunately the account will not be in the name of the playground but all financials are entirely transparent and bank records will be available upon request. Please don't hesitate to ask for more information.

Best,

Katy

Updates...

Hi everyone. Yesterday we measured the area of the land plot and have now begun to brainstorm how to divide and structure it into a jungle gym and sports field. We will be going to Lynedoch tomorrow morning to work out logistics and should have a variety of design templates by week's end. We will also be surveying the student body tomorrow to ensure their wants and needs are being met in our design. In order to choose a final layout we will be calling a community meeting where everyone involved will have a vote in the decision. The date for the meeting is still pending but will be announced as soon as possible. We are also starting to form a media team that will create a commercial advertising what we are doing in hopes of raising money to fund the playground. The current challenge is to determine what pictures and footage of the school and children we will be allowed to use, if any, and what the rights and legal issues are surrounding that. I'll have more updates for you tomorrow.

Best,

Katy

Where we are now...

Hi everyone, I just want to make sure we are all on the same page so we can start off on a good foot and get to work right away. This past Thursday we confirmed with Habitat for Humanity of Stellenbosch University that they will be working with us to design, fund, and build the playground and recreational area at Lynedoch. The first step is to design the playground which involves land, zoning, and market research. I spoke with the Headmaster of Lynedoch, Mr. Grantham Jansen, this past Friday and he agreed to allocate a plot of land next to the school for the playground. Since the land is not owned by the school, he will be speaking on our behalf with the Sustainability Institute to confirm its availability. Tomorrow we will be working with Mr. Abrahamse to measure the dimensions of the area so we know what is logistically possible. On Wednesday we will be surveying the students grades 1-8 to see what they would like to have on the playground because it is very important that our work is grounded in the wants and needs of the students. Our goal within the next few weeks is to have a number of playground layouts designed and then to call a community meeting where all stakeholders will work together to decide on a final layout. Once a design has been selected we will estimate the cost and begin securing funding for the project. For more information please find us on facebook at Project Playground: Lynedoch Primary School.

Best,

Katy