COLORADO SPRINGS — Banning Lewis Ranch Academy students helped design their new playground.
Teachers blended playground planning into the fourth-grade math class last school year.
"I learned that making a playground is way harder than you think," said fifth-grade student, Colsen Betsayad. "It's like a miracle."
Students, like Betsayad, learned how to budget a big project and put their plan into action.
The school saw a need for an upgrade after 15 years.
Students said they wanted the more inclusive playground to have more slides, swings and climbing equipment.
"I like it 'cause it's so much better than the other one because the other one was like tinier and [the new playground] has more slides, which I think is fun," said fifth-grade student, Kinsley Lloyd.
"[The new playground is] very nice, I like chasing my friends through the playground, tagging them and running," said fifth-grade student, Nolan Riley.
The assistant principal, Kevin Junod, said the new playground allows students, who may get overstimulated during recess, to spread out, play in the shade, or do puzzles away from the action.
"[Helping them] release of energy and excitement to allow them to go back into the classroom and focus back in and be ready to go when it comes to their academics," said Junod.
The school's foundation paid for the project, funded in part by Banning Lewis Ranch's developer, Oakwood Homes.
"We donated $1.45 million to help our students feel great in our community, to enrich their lives with this beautiful playground out here," said Oakwood Homes sales manager, Reshana Schwartz.
"I'm hoping that [other students] like it as much as I do and that they have so much fun on it," said Lloyd.
The donation is also going toward science lab upgrades, transportation and a teacher wellness program.
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