Kid-Designed Playground Unveiled Outside Lincoln Junior High In Skokie

SKOKIE, IL — A new playground was installed this week at Lincoln Junior High in Skokie-Morton Grove School District 69.

But while it is located outside the district's middle school, the playground is aimed at younger students, district officials said.

“Due to limited space at Madison School," Superintendent Margaret Clauson said in a statement, "the District’s early childhood program is now hosted in three buildings and it is important that there are age appropriate outdoor playspaces for our youngest learners at each of our schools."

The new playground was designed through collaboration with the community, including local kids, who shared their ideas for an idea playground during a design day in July, according to district representatives.

Those design drawings served as the inspiration for the final layout of the new playground.

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The effort was funded by Discover, which also contributed volunteers. The Skokie playspace is the 40th playground build to be funded by the Riverwoods-based financial company, which worked in partnership with the nonprofit group Kaboom, a Washington, D.C.-based group that aims to end playground inequity.

Discover Community Affairs Manager Alyse Perkowitz said in a statement that most of those company-funded playground builds have been in the Chicago area.

“The impact from today’s efforts will be felt long after this playground is built, and we’re honored to help provide access and bring joy to the lives of children in the Skokie-Morton Grove area,” Perkowitz said.

"Through this partnership, we are able to create outdoor opportunities to challenge our Pre-K students’ imagination, allow them to socialize with new friends, and play in a safe space. All skills that are integral to the District’s play-based Pre-K program,” Clauson said. “Additionally, this playground is available outside of school hours for all of our community’s young children.”