School awarded grant for adaptive playground equipment

Custer School District (CSD) playgrounds will soon be transformed to be all-inclusive with a variety of adaptive equipment thanks to a generous grant from the We B Giving Foundation (WBGF), totaling $263,559.52.
Originally, a family connection of a teacher led to the grant opportunity with the WBGF.
According to the Facebook post announcing the news, the goal of the application was “to foster an inclusive environment by providing the adaptive equipment needed for students of all abilities across various schools and programs.”
“We’ve been looking into this for a while, but things are so expensive. Where do you start? So when the opportunity came, we kind of had a wish list started,” said Custer Elementary School (CES) principal Barb Paulson. “We asked for a lot thinking that it’ll be great if we get anything, and they granted everything.”
CSD business manager Sarah Wedge said, “My understanding of what they (WBGF) do is to support special requests like this. Something that would be different so it’s not taking away from what your normal school funding would be. If you can get this on your own, they certainly wouldn’t be interested. But something like this that’s going to meet a need that’s never been met before, they were very excited about.”
During the application process, the teachers working on the grant went through the current wish list and chose equipment that was appropriate for children of all abilities. They then organized the items into different levels of need from high, to helpful, to dreaming.
“The two people who recommended what equipment was going to be purchased work in the special ed department and physical therapy department. So a lot of these things were designed to meet the needs of students whose needs aren’t being met already, which is a great opportunity,” said Paulson.
“As the physical therapist for the school district, I requested items for the grant based on physical needs of currently enrolled children, in order to provide accessibility and inclusivity in PE (Physical Education) and on the playground,” said district physical therapist Katie Johnson. “When Eve (Trandem) asked for help requesting items for the grant, she said to dream big. I enjoyed researching and shopping around for various adaptive playground and PE equipment, never considering all of the items would be approved.”
The application was submitted in December. Trandem was the grant writer, and Johnson, along with special education teacher Chantell Borkowski and PE instructor Gage Winkler, contributed their expertise to the application process. From there, the WBGF reviewed everything.
“They looked at all the links and were able to actually go and see why this would make a difference, why they would support it and were just super excited by the choices that were on there and how they’re going to be used,” said Wedge. “We were hoping to get one or two pieces of equipment, and that would have been a blessing.”
However, in early February, the CSD received word that the WBGF was awarding funds for the entire amount requested, totaling $263,559.52.
“It’s an incredible amount of money. It’s so exciting. The people that they submitted it to were just thrilled to say yes to everything that was there. This company, they were so supportive,” said Wedge. “The only thing they asked for in return is that we put a plaque on each of the playgrounds that has their name on it.”
The WBGF presented CSD with the funding up front and said if the district does not spend all of the money, it should keep the funds for additional items within the same mindset of the grant.
“It was a smooth, quick process and different than a lot of other grants,” said Paulson.
To avoid price changes and possible tariff increases, Wedge said the goal was to order as much of the equipment as possible after receiving funding. Many of the smaller items have already arrived, and the rest will go into storage until the ground thaws enough that they can be installed.
“We prioritized from the list. What are the things we absolutely, definitely want to see the most? If there is any funding left over, ‘cause the prices did go up a little bit, then of these other pieces, what do we choose? We have ordered 80 percent easily at this point,” said Wedge.
The new adaptive playground equipment will be divided between the preschool at the Armory, CES’s upper and lower playground and the Hermosa Elementary School (HES).
“I think that was another thing with this grant, that it’s one school, but we’re such a unique situation with all our building that we’re also reaching across the county to meet the kids,” said Paulson.
Among the new playground equipment are pentatonic chimes, bongos, congas, scooters, hand racquets, bashminton sets, a variety of balls and so much more.
“There’s a huge swing that you can put a wheelchair in outside that we’re going to get. There’s a merry-go-round type thing that is wheelchair accessible, not just when you’re in it, but there’s space around it so the wheelchair can go around the outside just like you picture kids running around,” said Wedge. “A crawl tunnel for the infant program. It’s such a wide range of things.”
Inside, CES and HES are getting Lu Interactive Gym Systems. Along with interactive screens, the systems include high-definition laser projectors, motion detection cameras, sound systems and lighting systems for an immersive experience. This system can be used for children of all ages.
“Those screens are going to be magnificent. They’re not just interactive for sports, but they have math programs built in, reading programs built in. So those are going to be absolutely incredible,” said Wedge.
The new equipment was selected with current students in mind but also goes beyond to provide adaptive play experiences for future students with additional needs.
“What’s great about it is it works for everyone, but it does include everyone,” said Paulson.
“The people who put this together we’re very, very thorough. They wanted to make sure it was different things that weren’t here yet and were going to enhance the playground,” said Wedge.
Some of the smaller equipment can also be checked out for classroom use or physical therapy sessions.
With the new “mega” playground equipment, Wedge said, “We’re probably going to have to revamp the playground just to get it to fit. They’re that big and that exciting.”
Additional costs from rearranging the playgrounds are expected. Wedge said if the district does not use all of the grant funds to purchase equipment, the remaining funds could be used to change the playgrounds.
“We just have to decide as a district, do we want to do that? Or do we want to use capital outlay funds, reserve funding that we already have, and then maximize the grant for its intended purpose?” said Wedge.
Since the CSD playgrounds are open to the public after school hours, Paulson said the grant will benefit the entire community.
“We feel pretty fortunate to be part of this and give our students more opportunities,” said Paulson.
Johnson agreed, saying, “This grant will elevate CSD in areas of interactivity and inclusivity far superior to other districts. Our students are very fortunate for the graciousness of the WBGF and their generous grant.”
In the coming months, the CSD will need to complete two progress reports to show the WBGF what was ordered and what stage the playgrounds are at. For the assembly and installation of the new equipment, Paulson said the district is hoping to involve some community organizations.