Why this playground fence is a big deal.
Though it might seem small, this fence project means a great deal. STEAM co-op represents a vision of schooling in which kids and adults collaborate to create learning opportunities and improve their community. This fence project was a real-world example of what we teach at co-op.
A problem was identified:
The playground sits very close to a major road with high speed traffic.
Solutions were identified:
We discussed temporary fencing options, we created artificial boundaries to keep kids on the playground, we discussed raising money to build a new fence.
Adults collaborated to develop solutions to the problem:
Several community members offered to purchase materials, bring equipment, help build the fence, help lay fabric, and provide mulch.
We worked hard to complete the solution:
Eight parents and two parishioners of Emmanuel worked for up to 9 hours one Saturday to complete the fence. Three other parents and one parishioner continued the work by providing fill dirt, spreading dirt, laying fabric and providing mulch. We have two final steps- spreading the mulch and painting the fence boards and posts.
Once that work is complete, STEAM co-op and Emmanuel can officially say, we built this fence together and made our playground a better place.
This fence is a big deal because the process of building it perfectly embodies the mission of our co-op …
To teach our learners the skills of the future:
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Critical Thinking
• Creativity
In the end, we spent around $500 from our budget on fencing materials to complete the project. While this was a little more than we hoped to spend, it was less than a third of the total cost for the fence.
If you would like to make a donation to our co-op to help offset our fence costs, you can do so using the link below and your donation will be tax deductible since we are a 501c3 nonprofit.
STEAM Homeschool Co-Op 