Church of Jesus Christ builds playground for children with special needs

When special education students arrive for the start of school this year on Kosrae, a new playground will be waiting for them.

Donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as part of its humanitarian program, the new specialized playground toys will greatly increase the ability of teachers to meet the needs of Kosrae’s special needs students, particularly those with severe disabilities.

The playground toys are designed specifically for students with special needs. Included in the donation are swings, climbing bars, a mini-climbing wall, a slide, a teeter-totter, a rocking horse, a sandbox, and more.

“This will be a great benefit, not just for our students, but for the community and neighborhood,” said Isao Mike, president of Kosrae Special Parent Network. “After school hours the playground will be open so that families from the community can come and enjoy it.”

Isao also stated that plans are also in place to provide lighting, a perimeter fence, and appropriate ground covering to assure cleanliness and safety. An eventual overhead shade cover for the playground is also in the planning stages. “I would possibly like to add a small water slide,” he added.

Fencing for the playground has already been delivered and is scheduled to be installed by volunteers from the United States Army.

“There will be an opening ceremony to celebrate when everything is in place,” said Isao.

Likiaksa Elesha, coordinator of Special Education in Kosrae, described the equipment’s value in meeting the needs of the school’s severely multi-disabled group in the least restrictive environment.

Of the school district’s 127 enrolled special education students, 19 are classified as SMD. Most are also autistic. Special education students receiving services from the Kosrae DOE range from 3 to 21 years of age.

Daily opportunities for play and physical activity are paramount in providing these students with a learning environment in which they can learn and thrive, but resources such as appropriate playground equipment are essential. The donated equipment is designed specifically for the needs and limitations of SMD students.

“Previously, due to limited resources the SMD children were only pulled in for specialized instruction once a week,” Elesha explained. “The new playground equipment helps allow us to pull them in on a daily basis so that we can better meet their developmental needs.”

Bill Davis, Welfare and Self-reliance manager for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who directs the church’s humanitarian efforts in Micronesia, gave his assurances that the Church will continue its efforts to serve those in need in the Kosrae community. (PR)