Prescott Park Lighting Project

BACKGROUND 
The transformation of Prescott School’s gravel playground into a neighborhood park space is a testament to school and community partnerships. Before 2009, the gravel playground on the east side of Prescott Elementary was lightly used. School and community members created a plan to transform the open space into a mixed-use space including a variety of diverse features for play and discovery by school kids and neighborhood patrons.

LIGHTING PROJECT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Today, Prescott Park is an asset to the south/southeast quadrant of the Near South neighborhood as a diverse park space for play and discovery. The park is used by school and neighborhood children and adults for play, adventure, exercising, team sports, etc. during the week and on weekends. But the space does not have lighting in the outdoor classroom or along the walking path. Lighting around the outdoor classroom space and along the walking path will provide extended hours of use and security at night for visitors and infrastructure protection against vandalism.

Not only does the park provide outdoor educational space for Prescott students but it is available for all community members during the week and weekends for play, exercise, and adventure. Lighting for the outdoor classroom and the walking path will provide security, prevent vandalism, and extend the time during the evenings that community members can access and enjoy the park.

- 19 LED pole lights to match existing lights on property located around outdoor classroom and along walking path
- Layout design has been completed and construction management will be managed by LPS Facilities Dept.
- Maintenance, repair or replacement of lights has been accepted by LPS Facilities Dept.

Our campaign goal is $10,000 plus cost reimbursement.

INTENDED FINANCIAL SUPPORT AUDIENCE
Past Prescott Community Walkathon events have helped raised money toward this project. As a Title I school, raising $40,000 has taken a number of years through Walkathon fundraisers with individual students bringing in as little as $2 in their Walkathon envelope. The Walkathon also has neighborhood sponsors but those donations only come in at $250 for a grade sponsor level.

This campaign seeks financial support from the Prescott Community as well as extended families, friends, neighbors, etc.

PROJECTS COMPLETED TO DATE
2009 – Gravel Removal from Playfield
2010 – Concrete Walking Path
2011 – Park Entry Bridge
2012 – Gazebo Construction
2013 – Prescott Prairie Plantings
2014 – Saber-toothed Cat Fossil Dig
2015 – MakerSpace Equipment
2016 – Harwood St. Entrance
2017 – Clatter Bridge and Landscaping
2018 – Outdoor instruments (marimba and metallophone)
2019 – Maintenance and New Light Fundraising

In 2016, a federally funded Harwood Street entrance improvement project was completed with financial support by numerous community partners. The project included an expansion of ADA parking cut-out, benches and half-wall brick features to match historic school architecture, new bike racks, and landscaping features.

Prescott Park’s Outdoor Classroom received the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Green Ribbon Award as well as accolades from Arbor Day Foundation and Nature Explore Classroom.

An update from the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools

Thank you for your generous support of LPS students through Fund a Need. We assure you that your gifts will still support the purpose of this Fund a Need campaign, even though school looks a lot different today than it did a few months ago. If this campaign cannot be accomplished this school year, your gifts will be safely held and available for the same use next year.

We appreciate you and your partnership in giving LPS students and staff the best possible tools for an amazing education. Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
The Foundation for LPS