Area youth who take advantage of programs at the Lyn Treece Boys and Girls Club have a new playground area thanks to students at Purdue’s College of Technology (CoT) at Lafayette. As part of CoT’s OLS 46700 Service Learning course, the college students transformed an empty lot into a safe and fun place for kids to play.
The project was partially funded by the Community Service Student Grant Program, facilitated by Purdue’s Office of Engagement. Additional support came from Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Wabash National, Oerlikon Fairfield and Kohl’s.
“When we started the project, the lot was partly gravel, full of bushes and poison ivy and just not very appealing,” said Kelly High, a student in the OLS 46700 course.
The City of Lafayette cleared the gravel, leveled the area and helped clear invasive trees. The Purdue students took care of clearing the rest of the nuisance plants; laying sod; planting grass, trees and flowers; and creating a rain garden. They also purchased toys and games for the playground area.
The dedication ceremony November 11 included state and local elected officials.