How does one achieve a dream of constructing a project that will enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of youth, both at a school and the surrounding community? The answer lies in the grit, determination, passion, and generosity of our St. Stephen School and Southwood community who know how important it is to create an environment that positively impacts not only children but the community as a whole for generations.
A playground ensures students at a school and the surrounding community have unstructured play opportunities that support physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Playgrounds build fine and gross motor skills. They encourage collaborative play, language development, and physical health. They also offer a safe space for children who prefer to play alone or to be alongside their peers. This playground has become an important part of the fabric that weaves our community together.
The facility will be developed to ensure accessibility. This is incredibly important as there are no playgrounds in the area that have been developed in such a manner.
The playground at St. Stephen’s was constructed in the late 1990’s and is at its end-of-life cycle. A playground committee of volunteer parents was created in 2022 to drive this important initiative. Fundraising has been ongoing over this time period with a myriad of events and incredible volunteerism from our community.
We are thrilled to announce that in November 2023, St. Stephen School in partnership with the Calgary Catholic Education Foundation (CCEF) found out it has secured $50,000 for our playground through the Blue Cross Build Together grant.
We are well on our way to raising $125,000 from our community and grants that we are actively applying for. Once we have reached this objective, we will be able to apply for the Alberta Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) matching grant. When we secure this matching grant, we will then have about half a year to raise any additional funds with the goal of building our new playground in Summer of 2025.
Please drop by our booth at Southwood Winterfest January 7, 2024, to see the proposed playground plans and speak with our team.
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