Everybody's Playground

A New Playground Experience for All 

VHE's Playground is Everybody's Playground is an inclusive playground design that appeals to every body that attends Virginia-Highland Elementary. As Atlanta Public School’s (APS) first-of-its-kind elementary school playground, children so children with disabilities will play alongside their peers on a variety of equipment pieces that are accessible and fun for all.  

The vision for this playground goes beyond inclusive recesses. With dual playground sites - a main playground and Pre-K playground - it is the hope that Everybody’s Playground will become a vibrant neighborhood meet up spot on weekends and holidays, as well as a venue for inclusive APS programs and events. 

Playground Renderings About the Playground 

• VHE's Playground is Everybody's Playground is designed for EVERY child at Virginia-Highland Elementary School.

• Age: there is equipment specifically geared towards Kindergartners, 5th graders, and every age in between. 

• Interests: the finished school yard will have climbing, ride-along, music, and sports equipment. 

• School: the playground will serve VHE students during the school day, but will be open to the entire community on weekends and in the summer. 

• Physical Ability: the playground is designed to be inclusive so that our handicapped students can enjoy the playground equipment alongside their peers. 

Progress to Date 

• Relocation of Existing Playground Structure (May 2024): The existing play structure was relocated to the upper lot, which opened up the lower lot to be one large sports field. A rubber surface was poured underneath the play structure, making it safer and more accessible for all children. APS covered the cost of the relocation and the rubber surface.   

• Shade Structure & Swings (Sept 2024): The shade structure will serve as a place for students to relax during recess, as well as an outdoor classroom. There will be 3 picnic benches underneath. The swings were the #1 most requested item by students and we are excited to make that dream a reality. Both of these items were funded by the VHE PTO, the Resurgens Foundation, and the VHE Fun Run held in September 2023. 

Next Steps 

• Main Playground Surfacing & Main Structure: $500,000 

• Our goal is to install the playground surfacing & main structure in Summer 2025 

• The total cost for the phase is $500,000 

• Rubber surfacing, installation, & freight: $250,000 

• Main equipment: $250,000 

• As of 10/7/24, we have $75,000 raised towards this goal 

Main Playground - Summer 2025 Target Installation Date 

Pre-K Playground - Winter 2025 Target Installation Date  

Fundraising Plan 

We have 2 main sources of fundraising planned: 

1. Foundations & Grants: We believe this will be our main funding source for the playground. There are many wonderful foundations in and around Atlanta that support initiatives like ours. We have a team of hard-working volunteers who regularly submit grant proposals, but we would always love more support from interested parents! Contact us through the Let's Talk link on this page if you are interested in helping. 

2. Business Donations: We are very proud to be the local elementary school for Midtown Atlanta and are hoping that businesses in the area will donate to our cause. This playground will benefit Midtown's youngest residents, as well as the community at large. We also plan to ask parents to reach out to their employers (regardless of location) asking for support for this great cause.  

Here are the grants and donations we have received so far: 

• PTO & 2023 Boosterthon Funds: $57,000 

• AEC Foundation: $50,000 

• Resurgens Charitable Foundation: $25,000 

• Truist Donation: $2,000 

• Edith Rhoney's parents: $1,000 

• Brent Pease Foundation: $500 

How to Help 

Here are the best ways to help: 

• Share this website with your employer and encourage them to donate.  

• Volunteer to help the committee 

We are looking for passionate parent volunteers to help us. We are especially interested in those with expertise in the following areas: 

• fundraising 

• marketing 

• grant writing 

• community connections 

• video/photography production 

• Share ideas & suggestions for fundraising sources: 

• Foundations & grants (do you have contacts at any local foundations or grants who may be interested in supporting our cause?) 

• Employer donations (do you know any businesses, especially local businesses, who may be interested in donating?) 

 Empty Bench Project 

What is the Empty Bench Project? 

• The Empty Bench Project was founded by Angela Haase (Dawson's mom) and Farrah Butler (Belle's mom). Dawson and Belle are VHE Kindergartners who are unable to use our current playground equipment because it is not handicap accessible. They spend recess sitting on the bench watching other children play on the playground. This is a heartbreaking situation because they can't play with their peers, but it is also a huge, missed opportunity for them because play is an important part of therapy for handicapped children.  

Angela and Farrah saw an opportunity to build a new, inclusive playground that will serve all of the children of Virginia-Highland Elementary School. They have been working tirelessly to research playground options and design an amazing playground for our school and the greater community. The playground will be handicapped accessible, but it will also be an incredible playground for every other student at VHE. 

They are excited to officially kick off the fundraising for Everybody's Playground at VHE! Their goal is to EMPTY THE BENCH! Let's get every kid playing on this playground by the end of 2024! 

Frequently Asked Questions