SCRANTON, Pa. — The schoolyard at John F. Kennedy Elementary in Scranton's south side may look like this now, but there are plans to transform it into a safe and fun space for students.
During an assembly inside the school's gym, Scranton School District officials, along with the city and other nonprofit organizations, unveiled the plans for a new playground.
"It's all about the students from beginning to end. It's their space, and it's important that they have that sense of autonomy and that sense of ownership," said Abi Mlo, a stewardship and engagement coordinator for the Trust for Public Lands.
Trust for Public Lands, a national nonprofit, selected Scranton for the community schoolyard project.
Earlier this year, members of the nonprofit came to the school and teamed up with third grade students from Mrs. Zapata's class. The kids were asked to brainstorm and design ideas of what they wanted in their schoolyard.
The students who helped design this playground won't be at this school forever, but they're happy that they'll be able to leave their mark forever.
"We worked together, and you made a playground for more people to play on and people can have fun," said third grader Tess Lewis.
The Scranton City Council set aside $500,000 for schoolyard transformations, with JFK Elementary as the first.
"This is the first of hopefully many," Mlo said. "I think the future is definitely looking bright for green schoolyards in Scranton."
The design must be finalized, but officials hope to break ground sometime next year.
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