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Parents, students and high school construction class partner to build Pearson B‑3 Nature Play Place
Summary
Pearson Early Learning Center staff described plans for an outdoor nature play area and a storage shed to be constructed by the high school's construction class; project work could begin in June and organizers reported $1,345 raised so far and a Shakopee Foundation grant covering part of the shed.
Pearson Early Learning Center staff and student volunteers presented a community partnership to create an outdoor Pearson B‑3 Nature Play Place for infants through 3-year-olds and a small storage shed to house play materials.
Sarah Moline, identified as Pearson’s Early Learning Center administrator, told the school board the project aims to reimagine an underused outdoor area to provide a safe, sensory-rich space for the center’s youngest children and their caregivers. Organizers plan cleanup, power washing, edging, new barrier plantings for safety, new flowers and sensory elements including a sandbox and water table.
Rafael Sweeney, who spoke about the site work, said crews hoped to start landscaping around June 7 (with June 14 as a backup). He described staging tasks: a day for cleanup and removal, edging and power washing, installing a dense grass barrier for safety, and planting sensory‑oriented outdoor materials. Sweeney said the group had identified a dense grass species for the safety buffer but did not name it at the meeting.
Members of the high school’s construction program will build an 8-by-8 shed to store trikes, shovels and watering cans. A program teacher identified as Brett described the construction schedule and said the shed should be completed before the landscaping work begins.
Organizers reported early fundraising and in-kind support: the group said it had raised $1,345 toward the project, had a construction company willing to supply tools and power equipment, and that the Shakopee Foundation awarded a grant to assist with the shed. Jim Kalsich, the assistant superintendent, noted the partnership provides “real world experiences” for high school students.
Board members and staff asked about timing and safety; presenters emphasized custody and caregiver access, and said they would return with further cost and vendor details as fundraising and vendor commitments are finalized. No board vote was requested; the presentation was informational.
