Community Playgrounds

Estados UnidosBangladesh

Project Stage:

Idea

Budget:

< $1,000

Project Summary

Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

Secure, eco-friendly playgrounds will be built for underserved children in Bangladesh to ensure their right to play is protected.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

Researchers and educators alike have long recognized the power of play for early childhood development. Article 31 in the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child even acknowledges a child’s right “to engage in play.” The fact that so many of us, as adults, can still recall such pleasurable playground experiences as winning a race or going down a slide only underscores the meaningful impact play has on our lives. During my visit to Bangladesh, I was amazed by how children were able to amuse themselves in such hazardous conditions: rummaging through piles of paper trash and walking on top of PVC pipes, among other things. It showed me not only the remarkable ability of children to adapt their play to immediate surroundings, but also the urgent need for safe spaces to play.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

the goal of this project is to create safe environments for underprivileged children to play. The program will start small, building a playground in one or two villages. The key here is that a playground will only be constructed in a village where a primary school is already in place. Ideally, the playground would be placed next to the school. One community member will be trained on playground planning, design, building and maintenance. She will act as the playground project manager. The manager will then go back to her village and meet with the parents and adults of her community to discuss playground designs. She will then split the parents into groups and assign each group a task in the building process. The entire process from conception to construction will take roughly 2-3 weeks, with a total budget set at $2000. My project team will visit the site each day of construction to carefully monitor and offer needed advice. Weekly maintenance check ups will be administered as well.

Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

This project helps children reach their full potential. Play is inherently self-directed; so by building playgrounds, a sense of self-reliance and self-confidence will be cultivated in underprivileged children. This is especially true for girls, since playgrounds know no gender. Involving parents in every step of the process serves numerous functions. For example, coming from the community they often know what materials are available for use. Parents are also more likely to become advocates of play after seeing the project from start to finish. Since playgrounds will be primarily built next to existing schools, the project also has the potential to increase student enrollment rates and/or decrease dropout rates. The fact that members of the community will be leading the project ensures the long-term sustainability of the project by promoting commitment to the playgrounds and ensuring that the playgrounds are only built from materials that are locally available.

Sustainability

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

The main organizations that are currently pursuing similar work are KaBOOM! and Playground Ideas. However, unlike KaBOOM! that focuses on US playground construction initiatives, our project will be based in Bangladesh, a developing country that differs greatly economically, politically, socially, and culturally to the United States. Playground Ideas is a great organization that disseminates playground construction materials and instruction. However, they do not directly take on construction themselves. Our project might use some of the materials offered by their organization, but we will ultimately also be traveling to the foreign country to research, plan, organize, implement and evaluate.

About You

First Name

Daniel

Last Name

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About Your Organization

Organization Name

Organization Country

Country where this project is creating social impact

, XX

Your role in Education

Student.

The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with

How long has your organization been operating?

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Innovation

How long has your solution been in operation?

Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon

Now that you have thought out your entry, help us pitch it.

Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]

Safe, eco-friendly playgrounds will be built for underprivileged children in Bangladesh to ensure their right to engage in play.

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]

The project will be utilizing locally abundant materials and organizing local human resources to help communities help themselves.

Social Impact

What has been the impact of your solution to date?

What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?

Over the next year I hope to build 5 successful playgrounds in Bangladesh.

What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?

Community resistance or apathy to the project will definitely pose a major problem to the success of the project. In order to address that issue, extensive research and personal interviews will be made to ensure that the project is culturally relevant to community members.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Construction of 1 successful playground in Bangladesh.

Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone

Task 1

Find a community partner (public school, NGO, etc)

Task 2

Raise enough funds to implement project

Task 3

Establish meaningful, positive relationships with Bangladeshi community.

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Build 3 playgrounds in Bangladesh.

Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone

Task 1

Raise enough funds to implement project.

Task 2

Maintain good relations with community partner and community members.

Task 3

Address any problems with first playground quickly and effectively.

Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]

Sustainability

Tell us about your partnerships

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list