Students Help South Brunswick Install Sensory Playground Equipment

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ —Back in June, two students from South Brunswick began raising funds to purchase sensory playground equipment for children with autism.

Eighth graders Arjun Tyagi and Rishav Vignesh have started a GoFundMe and they were supported by the Township’s Recreation Department.

Recently, they presented the Recreation Department with a check to help purchase the equipment.

During the 2019-2020 school year, Tyagi and Vignesh participated in FIRST LEGO League (FLL) – an international organization that inspires youth through STEM learning. Through competitions, teams are introduced to scientific and real-world challenges, giving them the opportunity to focus and research on their chosen topics.

Tyagi and Vignesh focused on the lack of public spaces for children on the autism spectrum and developed the idea of providing their community with a space for special needs youth to come together.

Through research, the duo found that children on the spectrum enjoy a variety of sensory equipment that helps with their physical, auditory, visual and tactile sensory needs. Most children on the autism spectrum like musical instruments, sensory walks, and obstacle courses.

They opted for equipment that would allow children on the autism spectrum to play music at local parks.

For this endeavor, they worked with Jennifer Petri, Recreation Supervisor at the Department of Parks and Recreation.

They approached MRC, a company that designs and produces sensory equipment. The company agreed to do a dollar-to-dollar match for funds raised. More: South Brunswick Students Seek To Install Sensory Playground Equipment

So far, the teens were able to raise $4,751 of their $5,000 goal.

The teens have chosen a piece of multi-use musical equipment to be installed at Woodlot Park, the South Brunswick Township’s Community Center playground.

With the raised funds and MRC’s match, enough money has been collected to purchase and install this equipment, Petri told Patch. On Monday, Tyagi and Vignesh visited the park to officially deliver their check.

Petri told Patch that working with Tyagi and Vignesh on the project was inspiring.

“Parks should provide a safe space where children develop crucial physical, social, emotional and imaginative skills necessary to gain self-confidence, improve coordination, and advance critical thinking capabilities. As a 20-year Recreation Professional, my long term goal is to create all-inclusive parks within the community,” Petri said.

“To have a place where young people with and without special needs can come together and explore nature. A place to push themselves to new limits where all of the senses can be tapped. While creating an all abilities playground can be expensive, if we continue to tap into the community and use the resources our residents can provide, it can help, one piece at a time.”

Petri said installing the new equipment was just the beginning.

"Their hard work and the generosity of the community and MRC Recreation has given us a new beginning. It has provided a jump start to my dream. My dream is to look out my window and see kids of all kinds playing together, side-by-side, laughing and enjoying life.”

The new equipment is scheduled to be installed and ready for use by the end of September. It will be located in the same 0-entry area as the current ADA-compliant swings at Woodlot Park.

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