HAZLETON, Pa. — A quick glance around Megan Dever's classroom at Luzerne County Head Start in Hazleton shows social and emotional support for children's learning is a top priority.
"It's so positive, and I really, really like it," Megan added.
Megan's mother would tell you this is because of her father, John C. Kistler.
"Oh, he was, you know, ever since or little, he always wanted them to get into something that had to do with children, and he always was on Megan all the time about becoming a teacher," explained her mother, Anne Marie Kistler.
The family lost John to suicide last year, and soon after, they started a golf tournament to raise money to carry on his legacy in the community.
"He worked with kids his whole life. He grew up low-income, so we thought, what better way to do that, to honor his memory, would be creating a playground for the Head Start community," said Megan.
The golf tournament raised $24,000 this year, and the family is donating $15,000 of that to this cause.
"You know, my husband loved children, and he always loved helping children in all different kinds of ways. So when I was thinking this morning about what we were going to do and what was going to happen, I knew he was smiling, you know, because he would be so happy about this," said Anne Marie.
The plan here at this Head Start location is to use this donation to expand this play area and build a new all-natural playground.
"So when the children are outside and exploring what they would find in nature, it will be a part of their social-emotional learning and help them regulate it," explained Assistant Executive Director of Luzerne County Head Start Beth White.
Making this a gift that not only supports playtime for children, but their mental health too.
"Bringing some of that back and hopefully giving them some opportunities to get outside and have fun and do things that are safe and productive or even just fun is very important to the developmental stages alone. And making that, I think he would be very proud of," said Jeremy Kistler, Megan's brother.