The cost of a Height Adjustment System, Junior Size Swing Set with Platforms, a Therapy Net and a Heavy Duty Homestead Frame is $2923, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
I work in the Chicago Public Schools as an occupational therapist. This year I was assigned to a school that received about 20+ students from Spalding school. Spalding school was a school that serviced primarily children with disabilities and was initially shutdown temporarily because of renovations, but then permanently because of the "No Child Left Behind Act". Now, many of the children are in "regular" schools with limited to no resources/ equipment.
We have 25+ students (ex-Spalding as well as non-Spalding children) who are unable to experience movement to its fullest because of their disability. Some are even confined to their wheelchairs and are dependant on those who care for them to provide opportunities to experience movement. I am looking to provide these students with a swing at school specially designed for children to experience what their peers experience on a daily basis.
How can a swing help? A swing, with a variety of platforms, provides a number of movement opportunities. The child's body awareness and coordination improves; these components are vital for interaction with one's environment. Movement also improves postural tone which directly affects balance and the ability to sit and stand. These movement opportunities have also been known to improve alertness and attention span, preparing the child for a great learning experience.
At least 25 students will have the opportunity to experience the swing during the course of a week. It will be a piece of permanent equipment at the school so it will be used for many years. For the swing we will require the base, various platforms (types of swings), and stimulating toys to play with.
Most of these children, coming from low-income homes, do not have such equipment at home nor can they afford to go to an outpatient clinic. These children, especially those bound to wheelchairs, will experience something that their healthy, ambulatory peers achieve through ordinary play.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. B. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.