SCRANTON, Pa. — A large patch of blacktop behind John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Scranton has long been a place where imaginations run wild.
"We usually play recess out here, and it's going to be a whole different place," says 7-year-old Oliver Scarnato.
Just as Oliver said, the landscape of asphalt will soon be transformed into a green space.
"There's going to be a pool right here, a big slide, and a swing set right there," imagines the 7-year-old.
Something like that. While there won't be a pool, there will be an ADA-accessible playground, basketball court, running track, and a garden.
"This isn't something that they were just coming in and building us a playground. Our students, our stakeholders, our former student designed this looking forward to into the future talking about their siblings coming to play on the playground, so this is a huge momen," said Kennedy Principal, Nora Phillips.
But the newly transformed space is not just for the students. For the first time, the community will also be able to utilize this space after school hours.
"These are public spaces that we pay for every day with our tax dollars, but look at what they're doing. They're getting hot in the sun; they're getting wet in the rain. We say that's enough. If we turn this with some smart investments into the park, we're getting far more investments in this space. We're getting far more investment in this public space. We're making the space where the community can come where students can learn," said Owen Franklin, Trust for Public Land vice-president.
As ground was broken, Oliver was one of the most excited in the crowd, as he looks forward to one thing. But, school officials say this project means much more than the kids realize.
"They knew this wasn't an immediate process, and their willingness to look outside themselves, that we're doing this not only for our classmates but for people who are coming to the school after us. Those are just really terrific lessons in building a community," says Gus Fahey of Valley in Motion.
This is just the first of these transformations, there are plans for two more playground renovations in the city's south side.