Seven Generations partnered with Brian Slocum, Managing Director of Lehigh University Design Labs, and a team of Lehigh Design students, to create a sustainable playground! A 3-D model of the final design is on display at the school.

Click on the following link to see the team's research, inspiration and design process: Lehigh University Design Team Playground Site

Read about one of our playground work days: "Seven Generations Begins Playground Construction," www.emmaus.patch.com, August, 2011

All photos by: Jenae Holtzhafer for Emmaus Patch.

Seven Gen Families and Friends,

At long last we started our Seven Generations playground this past summer and will continue to need a small army of volunteers to help us make this a reality. The playground is a critical facet of our children's school experience - providing a safe and familiar environment for their physical and creative development during independent play. Per the nature of our curriculum, it may at times also serve as an extended classroom.We will need much help from the community to make this happen over the coming months and years. Here's an update of where we are, and most importantly, a list of ways that you or your family members could help.

Thanks to the tireless and creative work of the Lehigh University design team working with our students and staff, we have a fantastic long-term plan to achieve an innovative and unique place for our children to play and explore. However, in this challenging economic environment, we will need a long-term strategy to acquire the material and funds to make this vision a reality.

With this in mind, the Playground Committee has recommended that we break the full implementation of the playground into distinct phases. This past summer's focus was on grading and leveling the play area, installing adequate drainage, erecting a horizontal climbing wall, mulching the play surface, and adding natural and donated (i.e. free or very inexpensive) play features until the more permanent features can be acquired and installed in subsequent years. We were also happy to have had the help of student volunteers from area school districts for about one week in early July.

SO, HOW CAN YOU HELP?

*We will continue to plan playground specific work days throughout the 2011-2012 school year, and will send updates via the school newsletter. Please consider helping out for whole day or smaller portions

*Bring any tools you can: work gloves, pick-up trucks/trailers, shovels/forks, wheelbarrows, etc. In the summer, we made a couple of runs to the borough yard for mulch, local suppliers for drainage materials, staking out and beginning to grade the area. In the future, we may send out crews to pick up donated trees/roots and play structures, pending sufficient help and vehicles.

* Natural or donated play elements - We are looking to secure donations to fill the space until more permanent elements are available: Fallen/cut trees, branches, root structures, boulders, etc.
We also have an offer for a donated play set and would be happy to accept similar donations such as ropes, swings, etc. Any creative ideas for how to create simple structures from the items provided are welcome.

* Long-term planning and fundraising/material acquisition - Consider joining the Playground Committee (currently meeting bi-weekly on Friday at 3:30). We will need help applying for playground specific grants/donation and working with local vendors and partners to secure donations of funds or materials.

* Any other ideas that you can bring to help secure the short-term and long-term goals of this project are very welcome.

If you or a family member can handle physical labor, have access to tools, is in the construction/contracting trade, or just want to find a fun way to help the school with this important need - please contact me with your name/email/phone #. Please note if there's a particular aspect of the job you'd like to help with. Once we have a list of prospective volunteers we can make specific work items and goals for each work day.

Thanks to all for your help and support!

Dave Dougherty, on behalf of the Playground Committee
idave_doc AT yahoo.com