Manayunk’s North Light Community Center will soon get a fancy new playground
Scenes from the KaBoom! playground installation at West Philadelphia Achievement Charter School last year. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
North Light Community Center announced Monday that KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to creating playspaces for children, will lead the design and construction of a new playground at the Manayunk facility.
A KaBoom! representative will be on Green Lane to oversee the project which launches today (Tuesday). Children participating in North Light’s summer programs will have the opportunity to submit ideas for their ideal play-space from 2 to 3 p.m.
Afterwards, parents and community members are invited to a “Design Day” reception to review the children’s drawings and select equipment for the new playground. The latter event runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
“This is an opportunity for us to re-imagine outdoor space and we are inviting the neighborhood to be a part of it,” said Karen Smith of North Light, which provides programming for more than 3,000 children, teens and families annually.
About KaBoom and the project
Since its founding in 1995, KaBoom! has led more than 1,500 playground-construction projects by pairing funding partners with community organizations. Funding for the North Light project is being provided by GlaxoSmith Kline.
Locally, KaBoom! facilitated new playspaces in Kensington (2012), West Oak Lane and West Philadelphia (both in 2013).
The full schedule for the North Light playground community-build project is as follows:
Tuesday, 5 to 8:30 p.m.: KaBOOM! Playground Design Day (for adults). Light supper served. Come review the children’s drawings of a dream playground and use them to select playground equipment for your brand new playground! Help plan to make Build Day a success! RSVP today.
Thurs. Aug. 7, 6 to 8:00 p.m.: Community Design Collaborative Planning Meeting. Bring your imagination to create a beautiful & useful community space.
Sat. Sept. 27, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and/or Monday, September 29, time TBA: Site Preparation. Pitch in to remove the old playground and get the site ready for the new one.
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Playground Build Day (All hands on deck!)
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