Georgetown Elementary teachers are joining a construction team to build a new playground at the school Saturday.
Georgetown Elementary Assistant Principal Travis Bower said their current playground doesn’t have enough structures for children with disabilities.
“We’re trying to make it an all-inclusive playground to the best that we can,” Bower said.
Bower said that includes installing things like a jam shack where children can play on a set of bongos. They’ll also be putting in two new jungle gyms.
The playground will also be more handicapped accessible with a raised sandbox so a child in a wheelchair can play there too.
The idea for the playground came about when the school’s occupational therapist wanted to brainstorm different types of equipment that could be used on the playground. The school threw the idea out to high school students in the Indian River School District, for their capstone projects.
Three Indian River High School students took on the challenge and designed the playground.
Bower said Georgetown Elementary has a population of less than 10 percent of children with disabilities, but educators want to make sure those students have plenty of opportunities on the playground.
“The real vision would be that there’s no boundaries to what they can do out there. We want to make sure that all students have access to everything,” Bower said. “They can go anywhere with their friends, feel safe, be able to access it and have fun.”
They plan to set most of the equipment down Saturday. It will be ready for the next school year.
Georgetown Elementary fundraised about $35,000 for the new playground. Sussex County builders - the Schell Brothers - matched it with another $35,000.