Fundraiser for accessible Spark Park in Houston Community
Chancellor Elementary School is accepting donations to help them build a Spark Park. Spark Park is a program that is unique to Houston that helps develops school playgrounds that double as a community park. Chancellor is located in Alief, a high need town, in a low-income area, with one of the highest air temperatures in Houston since there are not many trees planted. The park would give the school the opportunity to plant trees to provide better air quality and control high temperatures to encourage residents to go outside and give a recreational space to families.
Chancellor also has a special education department with more than 160 students enrolled in the program of which more than 60 of those students identified with autism. Know Autism, a foundation that provides knowledge and resources to families of kids with autism, reached out to the elementary school to help them purchase equipment necessary to make the park accessible for children with disabilities. Such as ramps and a rubber floor in substitute of mulch for children in wheelchairs.
Children with disabilities often feel like outcasts and experience social isolation. According to Tulane University, this leads to low self-esteem, depression, and mental health issues. An article by Playworld states that inclusive parks reduce isolation by providing a space for families of children with disabilities to socialize. Inclusive parks also provide a better understanding of handicapped children to able-bodied kids by interacting with one another. This is why a school playground and a community spark park is important to the students of Chancellor.
Alief neighbors Houston’s Chinatown and is home to many people of the Asian community. Yoga and meditation are important to Asian cultures and the park is aiming to provide a relaxing place for this practice. Another attribute the park will have is an art component to blend in with Houston’s artistic aesthetic. To achieve all of this they are looking to raise $200,000. Here is the link, along with a QR code.
