SMART PARK Makes Sense for All Saints

Volunteers from the community are set to build the first SMART PARK, August 1-5, at All Saints Catholic School in Norwalk. Combining unique custom elements, physical science mechanisms, and alternative energy components, including solar panels, rain harvesting systems, hydro-electric exhibits, wind turbines and piezoelectric tiles, the e3 team-designed SMART PARK will excite, educate and engage children while driving advancements to Federal and State Core Science Curriculum.

This “smart park” will make smarter use of the limited play space of our communities and schools by providing an innovative, fun area for our children to learn while they play and will serve as a model for similar parks across the nation. Each piece of equipment will demonstrate a specific scientific concept and will come with customized lessons so that teachers can use the park for activities and experiments.

Parents and friends of All Saints’ students, in addition to community businesses and groups, such as the Stamford, CT branch of Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the Norwalk-based Connecticut Yankees Rugby Club, will lend a helping hand next week, August 1-5, for the entirely volunteer build, working tirelessly from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The SMART PARK was the brainchild of co-chairs Amanda Gebicki and Alison Reilly, two “new” parents of All Saints’ students, who simply wanted a playground for the children to play on in lieu of a blacktop parking lot. Their passion to make a difference at the school translated into an innovative concept that is now becoming a reality for students not only at ASCS, but those in the greater community.

Gebicki and Reilly lead the team of prominent educators, corporate leaders, architects and designers who have come together to collaborate on the creation of a National Movement to change the way children learn and play.

The curriculum guide and the SMART PARK design have been created with the support of many including Stepping Stones Museum for Children, The Exploratorium in San Francisco, Englert Inc., Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, LTL Architects of New York, Parsons The New School for Design, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, Radiant Manufacturing, Kompan, Affinion Group, BMW of Darien, Bank of Ireland, Rex Marine Center, Xccent Play!, Vertrue, Sirran Communications, Triple S, Grant McCarthy Group LLC, CRS Carpentry, and HousePro Construction Services.

With the support of these innovators, the e3 team is working to enhance the ability of schools and communities to transform traditional playgrounds into SMART PARKS that will empower children to grasp the importance of alternative energy and their own energy footprint and will demonstrate the links between science and real-world experience.

The prototype e3 smart park is designed by LTL Architects, an award-winning New York City architecture firm, with input from concept partners at Stepping Stones Museum for Children and the Exploratorium. Each component on the park has been selected to demonstrate specific scientific concepts. 

Each piece of equipment will be accompanied by inquiry-based activities (i.e., lessons) tied to the statewide Connecticut Core Science Curriculum framework and national science curriculum.

To find out more about SMART PARK, or to be a part of the build, visit https://sites.google.com/a/ascs.net/e3/.