LSU biological engineers create playgrounds for local schools

May 2018

 

 

LSU biological and agricultural engineering professor Marybeth Lima and her students are asking elementary students to create their dream playground, and are doing everything they can to make those dreams a reality.

Lima’s Biology in Engineering class spends the semester designing a playground for a local school or organization. This semester the three sections are working with Ryan Elementary, McMains Children’s Developmental Center, and Labelle Aire Elementary School.

“What I really hope that they get from the class is how to design something effectively with a community partner that reflects the soul of that community,” Lima said. “All three designs are going to be distinctive because they are going to reflect the best aspects of that community.”

This is Lima’s 20th time building playgrounds. When she first came to the University, she created this first-year design class because playgrounds are something all students are familiar with, which makes it easier to design.

“Playground design is all about child safety and child development,” Lima said. “You’re building an environment to meet kids’ basic needs. It pertains to biological engineering, all students knew something about it coming in, and all students I think enjoy it.”

Lima said funding is where the creativity comes in. They fundraise and write grant proposals to raise money to build. National nonprofit organization KaBOOM!, dedicated to bringing a playground within a mile of every child in the U.S., has funded four of Lima’s 34 playgrounds.

 

 

This story was adapted from The Daily Reveille’s Hailey Auglair. For the original story, please visit http://www.lsunow.com/daily/lsu-biological-engineers-create-playgrounds-for-local-schools/article_3896bbc8-2c91-11e8-a86c-57fffffeef88.html.