Safe Play Spaces Make the Difference!

Constellation Schools Old Brooklyn Community, a K-8 public school, is looking to bring play to our school and the residents of Cleveland.

We are the fortunate recipients of a KaBOOM! large playground build sponsored by Major League Baseball Players Trust.  It is truly a dream come true! By accepting this grant, our school community has signed on to many responsibilities. These include: paying 10% of the project cost ($8500), removing the existing playground equipment, leveling the area, recruiting and feeding 250 volunteers, and gathering other materials.  Our community has rallied around this project. Our local councilman along with our school community has raised $8500. Christ Church graciously removed our old playground equipment at no cost, and we are well on our way to recruiting and being able to feed our volunteers. Our playground project is well underway!

But...we still have a need to ensure that our students and community has a safe place to play.   Our only playspace for our students (including the location of the new playground) is also our only greenspace which sits on State Road (a main road).   We would like to fence the entire front area of our school so that our children can play safely both on the playground and on the front lawn.

June 22 Installation of new playground from  MLB Players Trust Fund and Kaboom!

July 1st- End of ioby fundraiser

August 1-removal of remaining part of small fence

by August 15- installation of new fence in time for the beginning of the 19-20 school year

Communities that are thriving have children that are playing.   We know today that children actively play less than other generations.  Play is important because it encourages the development of active minds, active bodies, and social skills. Unstructured  play encourages children to work together, problem solve, share, negotiate and make decisions. In a world that is becoming increasingly more tech reliant, the need for play continues to increase, but is often neglected.  We at Constellation Schools Old Brooklyn Community are passionate about helping our students develop in all of these areas. Our school yard is one of the only green spaces in our part of the neighborhood available for student and community play.  We are excited to be able to provide both our students and children in our neighborhood a safe playspace for them to explore, imagine and make friends. We only have one thing left to do...that is raise the money to fence in both the playground and the front yard.  Without this fence, our children are limited in their freedom to use this playspace. This has been a dream of our school community to make a space where children are completely free to play and explore.