SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — When it comes to the school day, most children look forward to recess, where they can run and play.
Imagine being able to help revamp your school's recess yard.
Students in Scranton are doing just that, with a little help from the community.
Snow, icy mix moving in for Thursday morning commute
A new playground is coming to Frances Willard Elementary.
It was an exciting announcement for more than 300 kindergarten through fourth-grade students.
Immediately, ideas began to swirl.
Students will be part of this $900,000 project, putting their ideas from crayons to paper, and drawing up designs to transform the mundane schoolyard into a student's paradise.
"Our community faces a high rate of poverty with limited outdoor resources, with what makes this gift especially meaningful," Frances Willard Elementary Principal Shannon Rucker said.
The school is nearly 100 years old, being built in 1928.
Currently, students have recess in an enclosed concrete space with chalk, balls, and jump rope to play with.
But soon enough, they will have a revitalized space to thrive in funded by the City of Scranton and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
"We are working across the city to make sure we have more and more cool playgrounds, more splash pads, more pools for you guys to swim in. It's really important to us that you guys have the coolest opportunities as possible," said Paige Cognetti, Mayor, City of Scranton.
Mrs. Martinelli's third-grade class was selected to work with "Trust for Public Land" for six weeks, learning what goes into developing a playground before designing their ideal space.
It's an exciting opportunity for bright young minds.
Similar projects at John F. Kennedy Elementary and John G. Whittier Elementary are ongoing.
