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Colorado Center for Community Development
Kyffin Elementary
Date: 11/1/2013
Principal Researchers:
- Project Team: Dan Wheeler, Byungsun Yang, Benjamin Wurzer
- Local Participants:Tina Hageman, Grant Coordinator, Michele DeAndrea-Austin, Principal, local PTA committee members
Kyffin Elementary was opened in 1972 and is part of the Jefferson County School District R-1, serving students from Kindergarten through 6th grade. The school has received the John Irwin School of Excellence Award for ten years running and has a high level of parent involvement. The schoolyard contained a mixture of play equipment of varying ages and pea gravel created a slipping hazard when it traveled across walkways. There was also little opportunity for afterschool use of the schoolyard, which is located in a suburban neighborhood.
An active PTA and motivated school staff gathered input from community members and students on what improvements they wanted to see in their schoolyard. CCCD students developed a preliminary schoolyard master plan that includes a challenge course, climbing wall, swings, shade structures and a grass field for sports activities. In partnership with the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation, Kyffin Elementary has submitted a grant application to GOCO for funding this project, with a successful local fund raising activity to support implementation.