by Michelle Wirth
On Saturday, October 7, more than 300 volunteers from KIPP Vision, Delta Air Lines, Hands On Atlanta and the community transformed an empty field into a new playground for students at KIPP Vision Primary. Volunteers completed the entire build in six hours.
Since the school opened in 2013, KIPP Vision Primary has never had a dedicated playground. As a result, students sometimes had to spend their recess time indoor, play in an empty field or shared the limited equipment on a nearby public playground.
“When I stepped into the principal role this year, I committed to creating more opportunities for play at our school,” said KIPP Vision Primary Principal Kristi Reaves (pictured on the left with a KIPP Vision student). “This is one of the ways we’re going to make sure our scholars can use their imagination and get their energy out so they can focus in the classroom.”
In addition to the 2,500 square foot 
playground, volunteers painted a bright, colorful mural; built additional seating; and created an outdoor classroom space. Delta Air Lines provided 150 volunteers. KIPP Metro Atlanta matched the number with parents, employees and students taking part in the project.
“We’re thrilled to help build a playground that gives kids a safe place to play. This will be transformational for the school, said Tad Hutcheson, VP of Community Engagement for Delta Air Lines. “It’s the second playground we’ve built with KIPP here in Atlanta.”
Following the completion of the playground, KIPP Vision received a surprise donation from Delta. The $20,000 will help the school with playground maintenance and other expenses.
The playground build was in partnership with KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve so they can thrive. KaBOOM! works to bring balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids.
Michelle Wirth
Michelle, GCSA's Director of Communications, is an award-winning journalist with a background in strategic communications. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism and a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Denver.
