Beyond the Sandbox
“The best way to teach children how to be exceptional problem solvers is to give them a problem to solve.”
- Carrie Lewis, LCS Teacher
The problem? How can we ensure our classmates with mobility challenges aren’t excluded from recess?
Each year a handful of students are selected to partucuparte in the in the Depth Program, an educational enrichment program aimed to challenge students to use critical thinking and problem solving skills. The students were tasked with researching the Americans with Disabilities Act and performing a playground survey to study the accessibility of current LCS playgrounds. With this knowledge, they went to work. Through brainstorming sessions, and a lot of trial and error they conceptualized and created an innovative solution.
Their new invention "eVeRplay," is a specially designed VR headset system that attaches to a special wheelchair. To bring their idea to life, the students leaned new skills. From copyrighting to marketing and collaborating with community partners. such as CouldFit and Libery University Law School.
Using funds provided by the Ed Foundation, the kids ordered a special chair from China; they used video cameras and computer software to record and produce content and utilized household items like pool noodles to customize the one of a kind chair, which was a labor of love, spanning a total of two years.
Now, their friend Norian, (seen sitting in the eVeRplay on the cover of the annual report) can experience the playground in a new and exciting way.
“I had a lot of fun running around the playground, wearing a camera to record fun things for the headset`. I liked that I could help my friend have fun in a new way. I loved using teamwork to accomplish designing the chair for him.”
- Avett, LCS Depth Student
“The first time Norian was in the chair, he started giggling; he was so happy and excited. That was fun, that was my favorite part.”
- Elanor, LCS Depth Student
LCS students using technology provided by the Education Foundation.
“This project was such an amazing opportunity to introduce the power of free play to a student who would not otherwise have the ability.”
We see this project as something that not only has the opportunity to impact LCS, but also grow to impact the lives of students across all of Virginia
Though this project presented several technical challenges for our team, we had an amazing experience working with the team from Lynchburg City Schools. They were absolutely pivotal in the success of this project.”
“The EDA supports Classroom Innovation Grants, because they offer LCS students an opportunity for true experiential learning where students get the chance to use their own ingenuity to invent and develop.
Small business and entrepreneurialism are the backbones of our local economy, and we believe that giving our students these experiences now will produce a more innovative, diverse, and capable workforce tomorrow.”