Kaboom! and the National Basketball Association have partnered up to give Compton Unified School District’s Jefferson Elementary School a new playground. Kaboom! is a non-profit that provides awesome play spaces for children, and the students of Jefferson will soon receive one, co-designed and selected by the students, parents and staff of the school.

The new playground,  will have the following fun elements:

· Triple Racer Slide

· 360 Spiral Slide

· 2 Slither Slides

· 4 Swings

· Inclined Cliff Hanger

· Play Cube

· Twisted Climber

· Beanstalk Climber

· Steel Curve Climber

· Tic-Tac-Toe Panel

· Spin Racer Panel

· Overhead Event Access Ladder

· Sky Swivels

· Monorail

· Drum Kit

· Adventure Bridge

“Our entire school, from the students to their families to our teachers, are very excited to be receiving a new playground and support our students towards their very own creation and design towards their dream playground,” said Jefferson Principal Sal Aquino. “We are grateful to NBA Cares and Kaboom! for their partnership and support from Compton Unified School District.”

The playground will be built February 16, 2018 by a host of volunteers from the Jefferson school community. Parents, teachers, staff and students came together for a “Design Day,” along with NBA Laker’s legend AC Green and Women’s National Basketball Association Sparks player Essence Carson, to brainstorm their “dream playground.”

Students were invited to imagine and draw what elements they would love to have as a part of their new playground. Some of those ideas included a zip line, swings, slides, a maze, and a running track. Students also shared their favorite ways to play, such as tag, hide and seek. The design was the result of their input and a survey of the school and surrounding community.

CUSD Board of Trustees Vice President, Satra Zurita, who also participated in the day, was impressed with the creativity of the students, “This is an example of the creativity and ingenuity of our district’s students,” she shared. “What I see here are engineers in the making and proof that if you give students the tools, they will thrive!”

Student Votes on Playground Design

Winning Design

AC Green Coaches Students as They Create a Dream Playground

Essence Carson and CUSD Board VP, Satra Zurita

Principal Aquino with AC Green and Essence Carson