Please join us in funding an ADA rubberized path to increase access to our playground for the 23 Special Needs students we have at Atkinson Elementary School.
Atkinson is a SWIFT school with two Special Needs classrooms.   Our purpose is to create meaningful opportunities for all children, and bridge general education and special education in a way where we all benefit.  You can read more about SWIFT schools here: www.swiftschools.org
Fueled by a dedicated group of parent volunteers, the non-profit organization Depave, a PIC grant, and a donation from the Atkinson PTA, we succeeded in raising $14,200 and breaking ground on a nature-based playground improvement plan for all students.  Beginning with a request by the Special Education teacher Joe Dagostino, we designed an ADA accessible path that creates more ease of use to the new components of our playground as well as increasing accessibility to the existing play structure.

Atkinson student "Ninjas" jumped into the depaving work.

Atkinson students prepare to help depave the area for the new natural play area.


Unfortunately, that budget can only get us the most basic features of the project: removing asphalt paving, excavation, required concrete curbing, backfill, and new bark chips. Parents have donated their time to create other aspects of the space such as a cedar canoe, log jumpers, a wooden dock and benches.  We have also been successful in procuring donations for many of the materials needed for the project.

An Atkinson dad hand hews a cedar canoe for the natural play area.


We are asking the community to raise an additional $6,925 so we can install a rolled-edge rubberized pad. As a design feature, the pad will represent water flowing past a cedar canoe which is next to an ADA accessible dock. Functionally, the pad is a path appropriate for wheelchairs and walkers which makes it easier for our special needs students to use the new play areas and move between the new areas and the existing playstructure.  

So far, this project has been an amazing community effort to bring an exciting new type of play to our students while creating some new, interesting, shady, quiet, natural areas. 

Young and old contributed the the work of hollowing the cedar canoe.

Community, please help us finish the vision and make the new play area more accessible for our special education students.

Money raised will go to Atkinson Elementary PTA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.  If we raise the money in time, the path will be installed during the first phase of construction (going on currently-summer 2015) and be done for the 2015-16 school year.  If we do not raise the money in time, we will spend the school year raising the rest of the needed funds and the rubberized path will be installed the summer of 2016 with some additional construction costs.

"Although we only have 23 special needs students (about 5% of our population), creating this space benefits everyone, exhibits advocacy, compassion and provides a play area for all to enjoy. Ultimately it impacts all 450 students – not just those who need it most".

Ivonne K. Dibblee
Principal of Atkinson Elementary School