NICE Awarded $2500 Bloktoberfest Grant for Project Recess

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On Monday December 2, 2019, Neighbors Investing in Childs Elementary was awarded a $2,500 grant by Bloktoberfest to support the Project Recess Capital Campaign. The grant provides important financial support as we work towards our goal of raising the remaining funds needed to break ground on the rooftop playground at GW Childs Elementary School in June of 2020. NICE is honored to have the support of Bloktoberfest in this work as they expand their reach into the Point Breeze and Newbold neighborhoods.

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About Bloktoberfest

Much like NICE, Bloktoberfest was founded by neighbors coming together to support a need in the local community. Founded in 2008 to raise funds for a new roof for the Shiloh Baptist Church on the 2200 block of Christian St. Blocktoberfest was born when a few concerned neighbors decided to help by throwing a fundraiser block party. Since then, Bloktoberfest has donated over $350,000 to local non-profits that further Bloktoberfest’s mission to nurture a sense of community in a rapidly changing and developing city and promote the local area as a great place to live and do business.

Project Recess Capital Campaign Launches

December 2019

“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.” -Diane Ackerman

Dear Neighbors,

At our core, NICE has always been about responding to the needs of GW Childs as identified by the school community. About four years ago, Principal Dr.Coutts identified a very BIG need.

The children needed a playground: A magical place to climb, stretch, and run. A space to socialize. To imagine and learn. To get fresh air. To burn energy so they can concentrate on learning for the rest of the school day. A space for children to play.

After four years of design charrettes, student and community input, meetings with the district, engineering assessments and plans, we are almost there. This summer, June 2020, we could break ground on the rooftop playground at G.W. Childs Elementary School. 

But we need your help to make this happen.

Today, on Giving Tuesday, NICE is launching our Project Recess capital campaign to raise the rest of the funds needed to build the magical rooftop playground that was first imagined for GW Childs students years ago.

We have worked so hard to get to this point, and to date, we have raised over $135,000!

However, we still need an additional $195,000 so that we can break ground in 2020.

The enclosed rooftop space at GW Childs provides the foundation for what will be a unique play space for the Pre-K through Third Grade students. A playground designed to encourage creativity, to promote physical activity, and, most importantly, to build community and promote learning through cooperative play.

We have worked so hard as a community to make this vision come alive.

I invite you to make a year-end gift to NICE so that the children of Point Breeze have more opportunities to play. With your help, we can build a state-of-the-art playground that hundreds of students will enjoy for years to come.

Together, let’s create this magical play space for our neighborhood children.
With Gratitude,

Diana


Inaugural NICE Night at On Point Bistro

Our first annual fundraiser, A NICE Night took place on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at On Point Bistro. Thanks in part to our platinum sponsor, OCF Realty, and our nice neighbors, we raised $9,413 for Project Recess!

OCF Realty Revitalizes Childs' Teachers Lounge

On Friday March 31st, the teachers at G.W. Childs School got a big surprise. They didn't know quite why they were being lured to the fourth floor of the school building, but couldn't believe their eyes when they walked through the door of a newly revitalized teachers lounge. A room which had once held old desks and furniture was transformed by OCF Realty over the last month. The space was cleaned and painted, a kitchen and full sized fridge were added, as well as new tables and chairs and a comfy couch. No one deserves a nice place to rest more than teachers, and NICE so thankful for OCF's generosity on this project. Also a huge thanks to GJDesign & Architecture PC for drawing up the plans for the space. OCF Realty has been big supporters of NICE since we launched in 2012, providing donations for the library revitalization, supporting our event fundraisers, donating coffee for teacher breakfasts, and more! We look forward to continuing this partnership to bring more support and resources to the G.W. Childs School community! 

 

Update to the GW Childs Schoolyard Masterplan

G W CHILDS SCHOOLYARD MASTER PLAN UPDATE:
Below are boards which will be posted in G W Childs' School this week in an effort to gather input/feedback from students, teachers, parents, facility managers, Principal Coutts, alumni, and community members. 

Please leave comments and feedback below. We want to have everyone's input as soon as possible so that we can move forward with design documents. 

NEXT CHANCE FOR SCHOOL COMMUNITY INPUT
Monday, November 21st to Wednesday, November 23rd

Another version of these master plans will be shared Monday, November 21st to Wednesday, November 23rd, in your school as well. 

FINAL MASTER PLANS WILL BE AVAILABLE...
Final master plans will be available early this spring after a final review by your school Principal, The Big Sandbox, and University professors, Bambi Yost (ISU) and Lois Brink (UCD). These master plans are "living" documents and are intended to be used as a basis for fundraising and construction. 

Input for these master plans is on-going. Initial community design charrettes and conversations began this past spring/summer, 2016, and are continuing throughout the fall of 2016 and into the spring of 2017 and beyond. 

MORE INFORMATION
These master plans are being created by Iowa State University landscape architecture students and Assistant Professor Bambi Yost in collaboration with The Big Sandbox and the University of Colorado Denver Landscape Architecture Professor, Lois Brink. We are also collaborating with the New Hampshire Stormwater Center, the Philadelphia Water Department, and the School District of Philadelphia.

This fall master plans are underway at 4 South Philadelphia Schools: G W Childs, Stephen Girard, Eliza B Kirkbride, and General George A McCall. We are working with a variety of community organizations and would love to pull resources and to share funding ideas and grant information. Please stay tuned for more information.

FINAL MASTER PLANS WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE
Final master plans (complete documents with illustrative drawings, community input, stormwater plans, cost estimates, grading plans, etc) will be share on The Big Sandbox's website at https://www.thebigsandbox.org/initiatives/ 

See Mt Airy Schoolyard Master Plans for a sample of our Iowa State University master plans from last fall. 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Bambi Yost, MLA, MURP, PhD in Design & Planning (ABD)
Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture
158 College of Design
Ames, IA 50011
720.217.2871 cell
byost@iastate.edu

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