PRS Playground
05/17
Pike Road Students Propose Inclusive Playground Before Town Council
A group of Pike Road students are leading the efforts to build a playground accessible to people of all abilities.
Pike Road Intermediate School’s SGA president and vice president, Tristan Bradsher and Gunner Gibbs, attended the town council meeting on Monday to present their plans for the inclusive playground. The student leaders came together with the help of special education teacher, Dawn Ellis, to organize plans.
“I really applaud them on their leadership skills and taking action where they find needs,” Ellis said. “They have throughout the year, and this is just one example of their efforts.”
Pike Road Mayor, Gordon Stone, believes young people like Bradsher and Gibbs are influential to the future of the town.
“I don’t know if I would have been in that posture at their age, but I’m really honored to be the mayor of a community that is investing in its young people and developing leaders for its future,” Stone said. “Honestly, that’s the way we continue to improve our community life.”
The student leaders want all students to have the same opportunities as them. Their plans include a space with accommodations including ramps and adaptive swings. The proposed playground will not only be available to Pike Road School students, but the entire community.
The students said it took courage to get in front of the council, but that wasn’t stopping them from standing up for their peers.
“That’s what we’ve been taught by all the teachers at Pike Road, to keep moving forward and proceeding in your projects,” Bradsher said.
Mayor Stone said the next step in the project is getting the plans to the town master planners to review.
