Ashland Middle School students plan new playground for Ringler Field

ASHLAND – Step into Sarah LeVeck and Jarrod Vance’s seventh grade classrooms during a project work day, and students are buzzing with excitement as they plan presentations, brainstorm ways to raise funds, track budgets and find solutions to logistical problems.

“Normally this time of year, I feel like the kids kind of go on auto-pilot,” LeVeck said. “I haven’t seen that nearly as much this year. They’re excited.”

That’s because the kids are applying their knowledge to interdisciplinary community service projects and discovering they can make an impact on the world around them.

The projects began in September, when English teacher Vance and math teacher LeVeck presented their classes with what would become a year-long effort.

Based on suggestions from city leaders in the mayor’s office and the parks department, the students were tasked with creating a playground and revamping recycling facilities at Ringler Field.

Students in the playground group are designing and raising funds for two new play structures for the Ringler Field soccer complex. Meanwhile, their peers from another class section are fundraising and making plans to outfit the park with new recycling bins– and educating the public about recycling in the process.

The seventh graders have taken ownership of the projects, while the teachers offer support and guidance, Vance said. Also offering help and support are volunteers Dustin Kruty, Jerry White, Erin Chandler and as well as Ashland City Parks Director Jason Counts and the mayor’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Amanda Patterson.

The students appreciate the autonomy.

“Our teachers are so great,” said Kloey Kaeser, who is working on the playground project. “They’ve left most of the work to us, but they’ve also helped up when needed. I’ve learned a lot from this process, and I think it’s going to help us out when we get older and graduate and work at our own jobs.”

The classes are learning English and math skills by applying them to real world tasks, like making budget sheets and creating professional documents and a website to describe their plans to donors and the community. They’re also practicing public speaking by presenting their projects to local leaders and community groups.

Playground project

The playground complex will include a “Tot Lot” playground for ages two through five and a larger play structure called “DK’s PlayZone” for ages five and up.

The PlayZone will be dedicated in memory of Danny Krispinsky, a beloved local athlete and soccer coach who died Jan. 1 after a battle with cancer. Danny’s parents, Steve and Patty Krispinsky, and his wife, Matti Krispinsky, have been helping with the project.

Students are eager to honor Krispinsky’s legacy and to provide a place for kids to play while their siblings compete in soccer games.

Both playgrounds are designed to be wheelchair accessible and inclusive for individuals with disabilities, something close to Kaeser’s heart.

“I’ve worked closely with special needs kids for our years, and I wanted to make sure there was a way everyone in the community could be included,” Kaeser said.

Students are budgeting $15,697 for the Tot Lot and $96,968 for DK’s PlayZone. They hope to have the money raised by May 15 to allow for construction this summer.

How to Donate

To donate to the playground project, visit the student-created project website at this link and click “donate here” or visit the Ashland County Community Foundation website, click “donate” and search for “Krispinsky.”

Donors may also mail checks to the Ashland County Community Foundation, 300 College Ave. Ashland, OH 44805. Checks should be made out to Ashland County Community Foundation and must include “Danny Krispinsky Playground” in the memo line.

The Norma June Foundation has pledged $10,000 and is challenging another local business or foundation to exceed their donation for naming rights to the Tot Lot. Lake Erie Foods donated $5,166. Crystal Care Center has agreed to give $2,000-$3,000. Guenther Mechanical has given $1,000. Dirt Dawg Excavating is giving $1,000 and donating time to prepare the surface and lay the posts for the playgrounds.

Several other companies and individuals have also contributed smaller amounts, but the students still have a long way to go to reach their fundraising goal.

All donors will be invited to a dedication ceremony, and those who donate $1,000 or more will be recognized through signage at the park.

Recycling project

The recycling group aims to help the Ashland community “Keep It Green and Clean” by placing well-marked recycling bins at Ringler Field as well as at the middle school. The group is also working to help the City of Ashland educate residents about proper recycling.

Students in the recycling group hope to raise $2,000 or more, including a minimum of $1,244 to cover the cost of four bins. After learning how commonly people throw trash in recycling bins or attempt to recycle the wrong materials, the students are also budgeting for signage to clarify which materials can be accepted in each bin. Any extra money will be put toward additional bins.

The seventh graders wrote grant proposals to help fund their project and have secured a $1,000 grant from the Ashland City Schools Foundation.

The students also held a Dining to Donate fundraiser at Chipotle last month and raised $953, the restaurant’s largest fundraiser to date. Another Dining to Donate event will be March 20 at Buffalo Wild Wings in Ashland. To participate, show this ticket to your server on the day of the event, and 20 percent of your bill will be donated toward the project.

Students also are planning a penny war at school as a fundraiser for the project.

Meanwhile, the kids have been visiting other schools in the district to teach students about recycling and promote their project.

The project is opening students’ eyes to the impact they can have on their community, recycling group member Gianna Brownson said.

“I just saw myself as an individual when it came to recycling and making an impact. I thought, ‘It’s just me. I don’t think I can really move other people to recycle or do something good for the community.'” Brownson said. “What I’m starting to realize as I work with this class is that if you’re just one individual person, you can still do something if you get together with a bunch of other people and work hard.”

Making an impact

Lilly Wert, one of Brownson’s classmates, said she hopes everyone who learns about recycling through the project or sees the new recycling bins will be moved to do their part for the planet.

“We really hope people take this initiative and really run with it,” Wert said. “We really want to spread recycling not just here but everywhere else too.”

Ava Bracken, a member of the playground group, said she feels good knowing she’s doing something that will help children for years to come.

For many of the students in both the recycling and playground groups, the projects started as something they were just doing for class and quickly became something more.

“We want to make a long-term impact on our community and show that we care about something and we don’t just care about it because we have to but because we want to,” said Journey Young.

Vance said he has been amazed to see how much his students have bought into the projects and how much they are able to make a difference.

For example, he said, city leaders have asked the recycling group to help with an upcoming public relations campaign to promote proper recycling.

“It has far exceeded anything I ever thought it would be,” vance said of the project. “I thought it would be something small we would make a little dent and a little impact with, but it has really turned into this much bigger thing. I think we’re making a much bigger impact.”

How to donate

For more information about the projects, visit the Ashland Middle School Community Service Projects website. With questions, contact Jarrod Vance at javance@goarrows.org or Sarah LeVeck at saleveck@goarrows.org.