Cornelia Elementary Raising Funds for Greener, Splinter-Free Playground

"We've got a playground that is nearing the end of its life cycle," explained Cornelia Elementary School Principal Chris Holden. "You want to make sure you're being pro-active in the replacement of your playground, because if you wait for it to be an issue, it's too late."

So before their 17 year-old playground becomes a hazard, Holden, school staff and concerned parents are determined to raise the funds necessary to build a new, more sustainable and inclusive playground with the support of the community and local corporations.

As of last month, their committee's, "let's Build it!" campaign has raised about $120,000 of the money needed to break ground this summer on the 8,000 square foot outdoor area, with another $60,000 to go.

Included in that money is a $60,000 grant from Hennepin County and $15,000 from the Jerstad Family Foundation. As well, the Cornelia community, the Target RedCard program and some other sources have built up their coffers.

The present playground structure in the back of the school is within the boundaries of Cornelia School Park and was built in 1994. It is used by the 580 enrolled Cornelia students as well as all the other children who visit the recreation area.

Made of wood, it has caused slivers and splinters, according to parent John Johnson. Johnson, who has two children enrolled at Cornelia, is lending his expertise as a landscape architect to the process.

"I rounded up some local playground vendors and had them come in and take a look," Johnson said. "Each of them put together a board and came in to talk to the group."

According to Johnson, the new design should last about 35 years, as opposed to the less-than-20-year lifespan of the current wood-based equipment. In addition, the committee required the vendors to incorporate more green qualities into the new site.

The winning vision for the playground came from Plymouth-based Flagship Recreation, who contracts with Landscape Structures, a manufacturer in Delano. That means most of the pieces will come from about 20 miles away, reducing the carbon footprint of the playground, according to Chris De Roche, a representative at Flagship. As well, Landscape Structures practices "lean manufacturing."

"They make one playground at a time," De Roche said. "It eliminates the waste of batch manufacturing."

Instead of doing a run of parts, Landscape Structures build only what is already sold. Also, the company uses a lot of recycled content and specializes in designs that reduce the actual amount of materials needed by doing away with the traditional deck and stair style.

The Evos, Spacenet Climber, Roller Table and Sway Fun structures in the new plan were specifically picked after the committee had children test the Groveland Elementary School playground in Minnetonka. That equipment is primarily steel-based with specially-formulated plastics and is meant to be inclusive and accessible. The planned surface is easier to negotiate for those in wheelchairs or using walking aids.

"It keeps kids moving — keeping them mentally and physically engaged," De Roche said. "It doesn't tell them how to play."

Perhaps Holden summed up the playground design best, saying, the group wanted to be "innovative, we wanted it to encourage continuous play and movement and we wanted all of our students regardless of their abilities to be able to access the playground and participate alongside their peers."

The committee is currently focusing on receiving funds and in-kind donations from local businesses and companies.

Details on how to give donations are on the Cornelia Playground committee's website.