Heber Hunt Students Discuss Inclusive Playground At Capital

Heber Hunt Elementary students Erilyn Colgan, Quinn Richardson, Kingston Cline and Maddox Goalder attended the Missouri School Boards Association conference March 28 at the state capital in Jefferson City.
The students explained the school’s inclusive playground project with members of the Missouri House, superintendents and school board members from across the state and even Missouri First Lady Teresa Parson.

The students were joined on their journey by teachers Allison Stucker and Lindsay Henry, and Heber Hunt Principal Angie Meyer. The students explained the inclusive playground project and the different fundraisers that have been completed over the past two years.

Get our free mobile app

Heber Hunt's goal is to raise enough money to lay turf down so it is accessible to all students and members of the community. Student-run fundraisers so far have purchased paint to create blacktop games that are wheelchair accessible, including a road with scooters; a wheelchair swing; a ball game called the Rainbow Arch; and a wheel-through monkey bar game.

Once the turf is purchased and installed, the wheel-through arcade can be installed and the wheelchair swings can be moved closer to the existing swings. Students also are hopeful to purchase a piece of equipment called a Ten Spin that allows all students to play on it together. Stucker said the students will provide a community showcase presentation about the inclusive playground on May 18.

“Students have worked diligently on designing posters that explain inclusion and exclusion, creating invitations to the showcase, and writing persuasive paragraphs on why Heber Hunt needs an inclusive playground,” she said. “The showcase will be student-led and have different stations that show the progression of the playground and the end goal."

In the photo: Missouri First Lady Teresa Parson pauses for a photo with Heber Hunt Elementary School students, from left, Maddox Goalder, Quinn Richardson, Kingston Cline and Erilyn Colgan, who were in Jefferson City on Tuesday, March 28, for presentations about the school’s inclusive playground project.