Toms River Teen Creates Communication Sign For School Playground

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River Eagle Scout has given children at East Dover Elementary School has created a sign board to help children with special needs communicate with classmates on the playground at the elementary school.

The Toms River Regional Schools highlighted the project by Dawson Fournier on the district's website last week, after the installation of the sign was completed.

Fournier was inspired to create the sign after meeting the family of a boy who uses a program on a tablet to communicate with others, the district said.

The teen spoke with Matt Gray, principal at East Dover Elementary, and then met with teachers and special services support staff to create the replica of the playground screen on the boy's device. Fournier designed the board for the playground and worked with Girtain Sign Company to get it printed, the district said.

Once the sign was printed, Fournier gathered the materials and delivered them to East Dover, and with the help of John Swenson and Keith Wallace from the Toms River Regional Schools' buildings and grounds department, the sign was installed.

Fournier also plans to give the digital files and design to the school district so it can install the signs at the district's other elementary schools, the district said.