12/9/2018 Application Questions: Edit and Submit - Google Docs

Bessemer Academy Play Yard Initiative 2018 GOCO Grant Application

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Bessemer Academy Play Yard Initiative

Application Questions: Bessemer Academy Schoolyard Initiative

Community Background

Bessemer Academy, originally named Bessemer School, was opened on November 29, 1883, as a small two­room schoolhouse. Bessemer Academy is an extraordinary elementary school that educates 43 preschoolers and 237 kindergarten through fifth grade scholars from varying backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. Our population is made up of 80% minority students, 90% are eligible for free or reduced lunch, 17% are on an Individualized Education Plan and 4% are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse. Bessemer Academy is a unique school where the mission is to fully integrate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in a Project­Based Learning (PBL) environment so that students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and passion to create positive change in the world.

Bessemer Academy has been in Turnaround status from 2012, until recently! With the dedication and hard work from the families, staff, and scholars, Bessemer Academy has successfully moved out of Turnaround status and into Improvement status. The school serves a population of low socioeconomic families and is a Title I school under the Federal, State, and District guidelines. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the Title I Act provides financial assistance to local schools with high numbers of children from low­income families to ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Bessemer Academy is home to the only Exceptional Student Services (ESS) self­contained preschool within District 60. This preschool serves children ages 3­5 with severe disabilities. There is also a mainstream preschool available free of cost to families funded by the Colorado Preschool Program. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program currently serves 6 students. There are 16 scholars who are English as Second Language Learners, some of those scholars’ parents speak only limited English. This school year, 9 scholars qualify for educational rights and services for students experiencing a temporary or inadequate living situation due to loss of housing, the Title IX, McKinney­Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act. According to Pueblo School District 60, 866 scholars are considered homeless under the Title IX, McKinney­Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act, within the school district. Due to the high financial needs at Bessemer Academy, the school participates in many community outreach programs to strengthen our community and provide families with items for their basic needs. There is a clothing closet available, on campus, to give scholars new jeans, coats, uniform shirts, socks, and more. In partnership with the Family Worship Center, there is also a food and hygiene pantry available for scholars, when needed. During breaks from school in fall, winter, and spring, families

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receive a “Backpack of Love” full of food to ensure the scholars will have food while they are not at school. City Councilman, Ray Aguilera, hosts a “Christmas at Bessemer” event at Bessemer Academy for the entire community, annually. This year, Christmas at Bessemer is expected to serve 1,000 children from the community. This event provides scholars from Bessemer and the surrounding area with Christmas presents and holiday meals. The Pueblo Poverty Foundation also used the field to host a Pumpkin Patch to ensure each child received a pumpkin to carve this past fall.

The Bessemer neighborhood is nestled in the southern portion of Pueblo, Colorado. The neighborhood is diverse in culture and history. In the 1800’s, the Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) began in Bessemer, making it one of the oldest communities in Colorado. Generations of immigrants from almost every European nation came to Bessemer for employment within the steelworks; African­Americans, Mexicans, Koreans, and Japanese all moved to Bessemer for employment with the steel mill. When CF&I closed, many hard­working families lost their source of income and Bessemer became a high­poverty neighborhood. The Bessemer neighborhood is one of the oldest parts of Pueblo, with nearly 87% of homes being built before 1920 and 50% being built before 1940. The homes are small and were built to house steel mill workers, before children began to populate the neighborhood. Early in Bessemer’s history, the need for a high school was not portrayed. The City of Pueblo Historitecture document states, when most of the young men in Pueblo were going to high school, Bessemer’s young men were expected to start working at the steel mill.

According to the 2012­2016 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder, the population for the Bessemer neighborhood is 3,087. There are 519 children under the age of 9. The Bessemer neighborhood population has an unemployment rate of 48.8% and 66.2% of Bessemer families earn less than $34,999 a year. Families with female householder with no husband present include 23.8% of Bessemer families, with a median non­family income of $13,727. As reported by the 2015 Census, the City of Pueblo has a population of 108,073. The demographics of Pueblo include 43.1% caucasian, 51.8% hispanic/latino, 2.1% African American, 0.5% American Indian, and 0.6% Asian. The average household income is $43,788 with 19% of families living below the poverty line. Families with children 18 and younger makeup 30.2% of the population living below the poverty line and 30.2% of families have children under the age of 18.

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Access

Bessemer Academy is a 100% open enrollment school of choice, meaning that scholars commute from all over Pueblo County; however, most of the scholars live within walking distance and walk to and from school daily. It is anticipated that the play yard will be used frequently by scholars and the community. The play yard will be open to the public after school hours, Friday­Sunday, and during school breaks. Signage with public use

times will be posted on the play yard site.

Fifth­grade student, Leah, said, “The playground would have easy access, making it available to everyone. Wouldn’t it be great to have this playground at Bessemer Academy?” As shown in the Bessemer Academy School Yard Initiative Access Map, Attachment 1, Bessemer Academy is centrally located in the Bessemer neighborhood and is surrounded by homes. The playground is in close proximity, within 0.1 miles, from the closest home with children.

Shown in Attachment 2, there are 12 crosswalks and multiple existing sidewalks leading to the playground. There is also a parking lot and plenty of street parking. For families

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without transportation and outside of walking distance, the Pueblo Transit is available with a bus stop within 0.2 miles of the school. The playground will be easily accessed with no obstacles to the project site. In Pueblo, the majority of residential areas have access to a park within one mile and most trails within the city are accessed by car. There are three parks within the Bessemer neighborhood, neither are accessed by the cities trails. The small playground, adjacent to Bessemer Academy, is owned by Pueblo District 60; however, it was built on January 1, 1994 and is unsafe and impractical for the school to use. Bessemer Park, is not within walking distance to the entire community or Bessemer Academy. Stauter Field has basketball courts and a baseball field but does not have a play structure. In the image above, “Bessemer Academy School Yard Initiative Access Map,” shows Bessemer Academy, in red, and the surrounding parks, in green. None of the other parks are within walking distance to the school. Also, none of the other parks are inclusive.

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Need

Bessemer was developed in 1886 as its own municipality without any city ordinances for parkland dedication requirements. There is no remaining land in the Bessemer neighborhood for future parks and there are currently no inclusive playgrounds (Pueblo City Planning and Community Development). The only location option available for a new playground in the Bessemer area is at Bessemer Academy. Not only do the Bessemer Academy scholars need a playground, the entire community of Bessemer does. Based on the Parks and Recreation Assessment and Implementation Plan, from November 2008, Bessemer neighborhood parks are below National Recreation and Park Association standards for parkland. Attachment 3, shows the park adjacent to Bessemer Academy. This park is a 24­year­old metal play structure with two small slides and monkey bars. It is currently maintained by Pueblo Parks and Recreation, in return, Park and Recreation use Pueblo City Schools gyms and grounds for various programs such as basketball practice. According to Lee Carstensen, Pueblo Parks and Recreation Supervisor, if the city owned the park, the structure would be removed due to age and safety concerns. Unfortunately, District 60 nor Pueblo City have the funding to replace this playground. A lot has changed in 24 years in relation to safety regulations. Bessemer Academy scholars are no longer allowed to cross the street to access the playground because it is not on school premises. In order for scholars to utilize the playground a permission slip is required, by the school district, daily. Also, it is difficult to ensure other people are not using the playground during school hours, as it is not actually on the school grounds. Most days, there are people at this park with their dogs and small children playing in the grass area, which is another reason permission slips are required. There are no cameras or quick access back into the building to ensure the scholars’ safety in the event of an emergency.

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Attachment 4 shows the play area that Bessemer Academy scholars use for recess. The play structure pictured is used only for preschool and is not large enough to accommodate scholars at recess, as 30­60 children are outside at a time. Therefore, scholars only choices for play and exercise include walking around an asphalt track or playing games that require additional equipment, such as basketballs, jump ropes, or four square. At Bessemer Academy, scholars go to Physical Education (P.E.) twice a week for forty minutes. The other two days, scholars’ only physical activity time is during recess.

Bessemer Academy needs a play yard and an area to provide opportunities for outdoor learning. Picnic tables will be installed outside of the first and third­grade hall to create an outdoor classroom. The location offers easy access back into the building for bathroom use and for safety, in the event of an emergency. The building walls will provide wind protection and shade, eliminating the need for a covered structure. Teachers will use this area for science experiments, outdoor learning, class celebrations and more. Families can have picnics at these tables, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can use the area for projects and meetings, and scholars can eat lunch outside.

In addition to picnic tables, students will be a part of a school­wide garden. Attachment 5 shows the current garden area, unused for more than 5 years. The garden area will be used to teach scholars how to plant, grow, and maintain a garden for the school and community. Scholars will plan, plant, and maintain the garden and even eat the food they grow. According to the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, gardening gains children's interest in eating more fruits and vegetables, builds environmental awareness and educates children on healthy eating.

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Fifth­grader, Frankie, expressed, “If Bessemer could raise enough money we would build a playground for everyone.” Bessemer Academy plans to build a play structure that is not only ADA compliant, but inclusive for individuals of all abilities. Currently, the only fully inclusive play yard in Pueblo County is in Pueblo West, 17.5 miles from Bessemer, making it nearly impossible for these children to have a playground to enjoy. Bessemer is the only site in District 60 to house a multiple­disabilities preschool program. This program is for children with moderate to severe disabilities that need small group instruction and 1:1 support. In the 2017­2018 school year, thirteen children, ages 3­5 years old, were enrolled in this program. Some disabilities of these students included: cerebral palsy, genetic disorders, Down Syndrome, blindness/visual impairments, Autism, deaf/hard of hearing, seizure disorders, and mitochondrial disorders. Twelve of those thirteen children had gross motor delays and received physical therapy services; ten of the thirteen students were dependent on wheelchairs and/or other adapted equipment (gait trainers, walkers, adapted strollers, etc.). Attachment 6, pictures four preschool scholars, who are unable to access the play yard without being carried up the “transfer point”. The current preschool play yard has one ramp that leads to wood chips and a transfer point to access the play yard. For scholars with adapted equipment, the transfer point and wood chips make the play yard completely inaccessible because a wheelchair or gat trainer cannot roll in wood chips. For scholars who are learning to walk or are visually impaired, the uneven surface makes a difficult task nearly impossible to do independently, requiring adult assistance to move around the structure. Scholars in this special education program spend approximately half of their school day with peers. Part of this inclusion time is outside on the playground and these particular scholars are currently unable to participate in most of the activities that their peers are partaking in on the play yard. If the GOCO grant is received the preschool scholars will be able to fully access the new play yard to play with their peers.

Unfortunately, scholars at Bessemer Academy are denied the school play yard experiences simply because they are unable to fundraise enough money to purchase one. In three years, scholars have only raised $8,442.97. When third­graders were asked what their favorite thing on a playground was, three scholars said they do not

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remember going to a playground. Providing a playground will enrich the quality of life for everyone who accesses the playground because Bessemer’s children would be able to walk to the play yard if there was one available to them. In a neighborhood that still lacks playgrounds, it is crucial for Bessemer Academy to create a playground for all children, regardless of physical abilities, household income, or access to a vehicle. Without a grant from GOCO, countless children will continue to be denied the play yard experience at school and within their community.

Youth Engagement

Bessemer scholars were the driving­force behind the Bessemer Academy Park and Play Initiative. For the past three years, the scholars have worked endlessly to fundraise for their playground. The Student Council has hosted “Fun Friday’s/Thursday’s.” They have also sold World’s Finest Chocolate Bars, cookie dough, and “Candy Grams.” Over the past three years, scholars have completed these fundraisers and raised $8,442.97. Unfortunately, those fundraisers began before awareness of the GOCO grant and photographs are not present.

Scholars contributed to picking play yard components by looking at magazines from Miracle Recreation and then designing their own play yard. Examples of scholars’ work are in Attachments 7, 8 and 9. All of the scholars read/heard the book, “A Park for All,” to build empathy on the fact that not all children are able to access playgrounds. The scholars were amazed by the fact that other children were unable to access playgrounds. Some thought that wheelchairs could safely roll down a slide and roll through pea gravel. After reading the book, scholars drew designs and wrote about why they wanted a play yard. Scholars also met with a teacher to pick the interactive panels for the play yard. Many decided they wanted musical panels and thought that the younger scholars would especially enjoy the Musical Insert Panel.

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Pictured in Attachment 10, three third­grade scholars and one fifth­grade scholar attended a Pueblo City Council meeting and spoke on behalf of the Bessemer Academy Park and Play Yard Initiative. They presented the play yard plans and asked Pueblo City to be Bessemer Academy’s government entity for the IGA. City Council members applauded the young scholars for their public speaking skills and City Congressman, Ray Aguilera, District 4 Representative, was impressed with the scholars and was convinced to help Bessemer Academy fundraise the remaining match requirement.

Community Engagement

The Bessemer Academy school yard will be an asset to the surrounding community. The community was given opportunities to provide feedback and comments when scholars presented the design after school. Scholars set up a table with posters of the playground design and asked the community to sign a community support sheet. Within the first day, scholars had 52 signatures. (Pictured above in Attachment 11.)

Several scholars also came to Bessemer Academy on their day off, to speak to News Channel 5, KOAA, with regard to the new play yard. In the news clip, scholars played in the grass field and enjoyed a game of basketball on the court. The news clip was used to inform the community that Bessemer Academy has plans to build a play yard for all, regardless of socioeconomic status or physical abilities, because Bessemer Academy always chooses to do what is best for kids. The news clip can be viewed at: https://koaa.com/news/covering­colorado/2018/12/07/bessemer­elementary­working­to ward­a­new­playground/ .

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Project Scope

Scholars at Bessemer Academy are eager to create a playground that all children can utilize. Bessemer scholars were taught that it is our responsibility to ensure their play yard is accessible to all and they kept that in our minds when designing their play yard. The play yard will feature components that not only comply with the minimum accessibility requirements, standards and laws, it provides a space where children of all abilities can experience exciting play together. With all scholars in mind, the design features double­wide ramps and play huts that will provide a safe space for scholars, including those who utilize wheelchairs, to access the play structure safely and turn around without difficulty. The design is presented in Attachment 12 and 13, below. The Miracle Recreation equipment chosen is designed to be durable and can handle hundreds of kids playing daily and all types of weather.

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During the design process, nearly every scholar expressed a desire to have a slide. Due to the varying physical abilities at Bessemer Academy, an Avalanche Inclusive Slide, the first and only accessible slide, was added to the final play yard design. This slide features a lower transfer point that allows children of all abilities to access the slide from ground level by gripping the side rail and pulling themselves up then sliding down. The ski slide and inclined crawl tube were also added for scholars to enjoy. The majority of scholars said they enjoy climbing on things, so the playground design features many climbing components including a rock wall, the jax rizer, and a dome climber.

Fifth­grade scholar, Kaden Cruz, stated, “Something I think would be good for people with disorders would be a place at the top of the playground where you could look around.” Many of the play yard designs that younger scholars created featured play­house type drawings, so two play huts including five interactive play panels are incorporated in the play yard. Hand picked by scholars and staff, the sensory and educationally­enriched interactive panels include: a Magical Music Insert that will play songs, Four­the­Win Insert is a matching game, A­Maze­Ing Race is a marble maze, Calypso Drums are musical drums, and Tic­Tac­Toe. Originally, the Tic­Tac­Toe panel was a chime panel, per student and community request, the design was changed to add

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a tic­tac­toe game instead. The playground also features the Perched Extend a Wheel, for creative play. Childhood should be fun and creative, with these interactive panels, all scholars will have interactive equipment to enjoy. Many playgrounds are considered ADA compliant; however, once scholars access the structure there is nothing for them to do but sit, these interactive panels will provide enjoyment to all children and ensure that children who do utilize wheelchairs have something fun to enjoy. The Alta­Glider was chosen after scholars were shown various inclusive playground equipment. They Alta­Glider will accommodate two children sitting in wheelchairs and six able bodies children at a time, together, they will rock back and forth to make the glider move.

Countless children and families are excluded from enjoying a playground because of surfacing such as pea gravel and wood chips, which is impractical for those with mobility difficulties. Bessemer Academy’s play yard will feature poured in place rubber surfacing to make the playground accessible for all individuals. The play structure created will provide scholars with a space to get active, blow off steam, learn how to resolve difficulties with others, rest between academics, build teamwork, build positive social skills, and nurture patience, regardless of physical abilities and needs.

The project site is shown in Attachment 14, the orange shaded area shows the proposed project site. The orange dot shows where the outdoor classroom will be, the two green dots show where the proposed surveillance cameras will be installed. To ensure scholars safety and prevent vandalism to the new play structure, cameras will be installed and a new key card reader will be installed on the doors near the proposed outdoor classroom area.

In addition to the play yard, we plan to incorporate outdoor learning spaces, a community garden, “buddy” benches, and new trees around the existing grass area. Currently, Bessemer Academy has four raised garden beds in the front of the school. (Previously shown in attachment 5.) These beds were used in the past to grow food and plants, but has not been used for over five years. With help from the GOCO grant and

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local donations, Bessemer Academy will update and maintain the garden space to support outdoor learning experiences. The school as a whole will participate in a Project Based Learning experience in which each grade­level researches and plans their planting/growing plan. Within their research and planning phases, scholars will need to research and design the garden space to best support optimal growth in our climate with the available sun and water. They will research the optimal type of soil, sun exposure, water requirements, as well as what plants grow well together and how much space they will need to prosper.

The scholars will research, design, plan, execute, and maintain the garden space. To increase community engagement, scholars will also come up with a plan to maintain the space over the summer and ways to include the surrounding community in the maintenance and preservation of the garden.

For this space to be successful, we would need to repair the existing raised beds; turn up the existing soil and add topsoil to enrich the ground; acquire and utilize seed­starting kits; set up a watering system that would be easy to access over the summer months; acquire and use tools to plant and maintain the fruits and vegetables.

Beginning in the planning and design phase, scholars will work collaboratively across grade­levels and content areas. Parents and community members will be invited to join in the collaboration to utilize any expertise we have available to us in our community members. Scholars and community will be able to use our technology and STEM lab to work on planning, design, and growing the plants for the garden. Encouraging our scholars and community to work together will foster a sense of community in the Bessemer Neighborhood that has been lacking for some time now.

Adjacent to the garden plot is an enclosed area off the cafeteria, shown in Attachment 15. This space would allow students to observe, tend to, and cultivate the garden when they are finished with their lunch. This space would also allow for additional items such as a large composter that we can use to continue to enrich the soil in a sustainable manner. Teaching scholars and the community about the science behind these pieces would continue to foster the love of learning about where our food comes from and how it can go on to nourish the next generation of our community garden.

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Ongoing Use

Currently, Bessemer Academy provides space for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, an after­school Bible Camp, and sports team practice on the school’s grass field or basketball area. After school hours, you can find many children riding their bikes around the concrete track, and playing basketball, tag, soccer, or baseball. Bessemer Academy offers a safe space for children to play with their friends, pictured in Attachment 16, shows children using the basketball area on a weekend.

According to Realtor.com, the majority of homes in Bessemer that are currently for sale range from $50,000­$120,000 and are 500 to 1,200 square foot. The children who live in those homes use Bessemer Academy’s grass field to play. Upon receiving the GOCO grant, Bessemer Academy will be home to the only fully inclusive playground within the City of Bessemer. The playground will provide children with the opportunity to play cooperatively together while building communication skills, physical strength, coordination and balance, social skills, and mostly to have fun interacting as a community.

If the GOCO grant is received, Bessemer Academy staff is committed to participating in the Schools and Outdoor Learning Environments (S.O.L.E) program, Project WILD, Growing Up WILD, Teaching Environmental Science Naturally (TEN), and Outdoor Understanding for Teachers (OUT), through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Program. As a Title I School, Bessemer Academy must fund all field trips and school presentations; therefore, the fourth­grade field trips through the S.O.L.E program will be greatly appreciated. The nature nights and school programs will also be utilized to teach our scholars and their families the importance of the outdoors. Not to mention, it will provide scholars with experiences that they otherwise cannot participate in. The interactive activities such as archery and learning to fish will be enjoyed by many children at Bessemer. The State Park hikes and museum field trips will be utilized as much as possible to enrich and broaden scholars’ experiences. The numerous environmental education programs such as Animal Adaptations, Bats, Endangered Species, and Colorado Ecosystems can be incorporated into Bessemer Academy’s Project Based Learning/STEM curriculum and can be tied to Lake Pueblo State Park field trips.

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Letters of Support

Letter From Parent:

To whom it may concern,

My name is Linda Maldonado and I am the mother of 8 children. Genevieve, Madeleine, Augustine and Nicholas have graduated from Bessemer Stem Academy and Tabitha, Vianney and Zephyrin are currently enrolled.

Enrolling our children into our neighborhood school was a great leap of faith. The school was the opposite of ideal to say the least. We had just moved from Orange County, California to Pueblo and wanted to bloom where we were newly planted and today we can say that we are so glad we made the decision to enroll our children.

Each year after the first initial year, there has been significant improvement. Today, under the leadership of Principal Angela Garcia, Bessemer Stem Academy has become the ideal school that any parent would be confident sending their children to attend. Here, children and parents and caregivers are genuinely welcomed, respected and cared for. Ms. Garcia has created and fostered an environment in which all children can safely learn and broaden their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math. She, along with the faculty and staff that she has brought in, never tire of aspiring to improve the learning and thriving experience of their scholars. Their enthusiasm never wanes.

Having said all this, brings me to the point of this letter. The one noticeable thing lacking at Bessemer STEM Academy is a proper playground. Currently, they have a blacktop track which the children can run and walk along but to me is somewhat similar to a prison yard. For all their hard work and effort, the children of Bessemer deserve better than this, and Ms. Garcia and her supporting staff and faculty see this and are doing something about it. Please consider our children for a grant for playground equipment. They've worked so hard for so long to have a proper place to exercise and play and use their imagination and just have fun. Please consider us for this grant. It would be the icing on the cake, the cherry on top of this mission that Ms. Garcia and her faculty and staff and student body have been striving for, for so long.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Linda and David Maldonado

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Letter From Parent

To Whom it may concern,

I would like to introduce you to my 3­year­old son. His name is Justice Harley Rhoades. Justice has cerebral palsy (CP). His CP diagnosis affects his ability to walk, stand, sit unassisted, and even his speech. What CP does not affect is his infectious smile, his love of music and dance, his spirit of exploring, and his love of making new friends. His favorite activities include dancing, playing with a bubble machine, watching his favorite YouTube channels, and being outside.

Sadly, because he is wheelchair bound he is limited to what he could do when playing with friends on the playground. Playgrounds are not built for children like him. He is often excluded because of the limited access for him to more freely play on the playground. He is very fortunate to have a loving teacher and paras to help him have access to play with his friends on the playground. Therefore, an inclusive playground will be beneficial to the school especially for children like my son.

Having an inclusive playground at Bessemer Academy will open so many possibilities for children like my son. Not only will he no longer be excluded but, will be able to explore and play along with his peers. An inclusive playground will allow for him and children like him to enjoy being a kid and not just be watching from the sidelines. Having an inclusive playground will insure that children like my son have a safe, fun, and inclusive place for them to play. Please consider Bessemer Academy for a place to have an inclusive playground.

Sincerely,

Sara Rhodes

Letter of Support from a Teacher

To whom it may concern,

This is my first year as a teacher and I am so thankful it is at Bessemer Academy. This school has the most welcoming and supportive staff. I can honestly say I love the people I work with, but one of my favorite aspects of this school is the students. Being a first year teacher, I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to my students but I was told constantly that this was a lower income community and there would be students I would struggle with on how to communicate with and reach. Within my first couple weeks I found this to be absolutely true. Now we are almost five months into the school year and I couldn’t imagine having any other students. This is the most unique, diverse group of third graders. They each have their own story to tell with their own problems,

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triumphs, and obstacles to overcome. I have students who struggle at home, but come to school with a smile on their face, excited to learn and interact with their peers. I have students that are more emotionally strong and mature than some adults I know. Some of them are forced to grow up too fast because of the situations they are thrown into that are out of their control. This is why I believe they are some of the most deserving group of kids to receive a playground. They deserve a safe place they can go to just be kids and have fun. Any assistance the school could receive would be greatly appreciated by not only our students but also the teachers, parents, and community. Thank you for your consideration,

Taylor Logan

Letter of Support from Pueblo Diversified Industries

To Whom it May Concern:

Pueblo Diversified Industries supports a playground for diverse abilities. This is a critical aspect to all children. This playground gives each child interaction and understanding of our similarities instead of our differences. We have sidelined individuals with diverse abilities for too long and this is a large step in the community to bring the focus on strengths instead of weaknesses.

We look forward to assisting with the project.

Susan K. Parker Director of Community Engagement Pueblo Diversified Industries [email protected] www.pdipueblo.org

Creating pathways for people with diverse abilities to thrive

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Financials

Bessemer Academy has ben fundraising for three years and has only been able to $11,000 (most came recently from local businesses and individual donors). Without a grant from GOCO, Bessemer Academy and the Bessemer community will not be able to fund an inclusive playground. As mentioned before, there is no more land in Bessemer to build a playground and there is no play structure open to children 5 and older, in fact the preschool playground is required to stay locked. Due to the poverty level within the community, fundraisers are often unsuccessful. The small businesses cannot afford to donate and the families do not have the financial ability to donate to the playground or participate in fundraisers. If the GOCO grant is not awarded, the current funds will be used to create an outdoor classroom and possibly purchase a freestanding climbing piece, which would not be inclusive.

Currently, Bessemer Academy the $11,000 required cash match and has meet the requirements for the in­kind donation match of $16,500.

The fundraising efforts at Bessemer Academy have taken place for three years. Scholars have sold World’s Finest Chocolate Bars, cookie dough, and Candy Grams. The school has also hosted Bingo Nights, Skate Nights at Skate City, and Fun Fridays and Thursdays. After learning about the GOCO grant, Bessemer Academy was also informed of businesses that offer community donations. Walmart graciously donated $1,000.00 and Pueblo Diversified Industries donated $2,500.00. Families and friends, from varying states, of the staff and the community donated $1,634.00 to benefit the children of Bessemer. The World’s Finest Chocolate Sales raised $360.00 and the t­shirt sales raised $167.00.

On top of the businesses we are waiting for a response from, previously stated, we received $1,000.00 from Wal­Mart and individuals donated $1,277.00.

A cost list for the playground materials is included in Attachment 17. Attachment 18 shows the cost for soil, two picnic tables, various vegetable seeds, irrigation materials, and gardening tools to begin the community garden.

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Maintenance

Pueblo School District 60 will be responsible for the maintenance of the play yard. Attachment 19 is a letter from the school district confirming maintenance cost and their commitment to maintaining the play yard. The Pueblo School District 60 Facilities Management Department commits to spending approximately $3,500 annually.

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Citations

City of Pueblo County Parks and Recreation 2018 Retrieved from: http://county.pueblo.org/government/county/department/public­works/parks­recreation

City of Pueblo County Planning and Community Development 2018 Retrieved from: https://www.pueblo.us/101/Planning­Community­Development

City of Pueblo County Parks and Recreation Assessment and Implementation Plan November 2008 Retrieved from: https://www.pueblo.us/DocumentCenter/View/609/PuebloPRFinalPlan?bidId=

University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Garden and Reflect with Cornell Garden­Based Learning Retrieved from: https://cals.cornell.edu/

Historitecture, LLC Forged Together in the Bessemer Neighborhood Prepared for the City of Pueblo, Colorado. July 2011. Retrieved from: https://www.pueblo.us/DocumentCenter/View/874/South­Pueblo­Context?bidId=

Pueblo City Schools Enrollment 2018 Retrieved from: https://sites.google.com/a/pueblocityschools.us/pueblo­city­schools/administration/depar tments/student­records­and­reporting/how­to­enroll­k­12/enrollment­application­informat ion

U.S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder 2012­2016 American Community Survey 5­Year Estimates Pueblo County Issued March 2011. Retrieved from: www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hispanic/reports.html

U.S. Department of Education Education for the Disadvantaged — Grants to Local Educational Agencies, Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Title I ESEA, Title I LEA Grants 2018 Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html

U.S. Department of Education Homeless Education 2018 Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg116.html

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