By Scott Babcock, President MNI
Anyone that has driven past Palmer Elementary the last couple months knows that school’s playground is undergoing a major facelift. Thanks to an anonymous, generous Mayfair donor and funding provided via the 2003 DPS General Obligation Bond, the school’s sun-baked asphalt and pea gravel playground is being replaced with a more welcoming, fun, and aesthetically pleasing play area. By October of this year, our neighborhood’s children will be enjoying a state-of-the-art “Learning Landscape Playground” equipped with new park infrastructure such as an irrigated grass field, ball courts, shade structures, outdoor performance area, vegetation, art features and other education areas that can double for not only fun and play, but also constructive outdoor learning. We are fortunate to have such a playground in Mayfair’s very own neighborhood elementary school.
Transformation underway at the Palmer playground.
What is a Learning Landscape Playground?
Studies show that a well-planned and equipped exterior play area enhances a student’s learning environment resulting in improved learning and achievement. Such play areas provide physical and mental challenges that translate into improved health and learning attention. Further, with proper design, these areas themselves become outdoor classrooms and “learning landscapes.” These playgrounds also contribute to a sense of community—a place to gather and to meet, a place to enjoy, a place that enhances the community’s appearance.
Guiding Principles for Palmer’s Playground
University of Colorado—Denver worked with Palmer’s staff, students, and Denver Public Schools’ administrators to come up with the following goals, which served as the basis for the redevelopment of the Palmer Elementary campus.
To realize these goals, the cost estimate for infrastructure improvements requires $225,000. The Learning Landscape aspect of the improvements is estimated to be $404,000. To review the Palmer Elementary School Campus Master Plan in its entirety, please visit here.
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