A Coquitlam non-profit institute that teaches special needs children in the Tri-Cities has been named one of 10 runner-ups for a prize of up to $100,000 for new playground equipment.
But to win the BCAA Play Here contest Mediated Learning Academy needs the public to vote online for their entry.
“Our kids need that kind of play to focus themselves and to manage in the classroom,” explained Kathleen Jeffrey, principal of Mediated Learning Academy.
The school supports the education and learning needs of 90 children, almost half of whom have autism and Jeffrey said outdoor activity is important to the students. But the current playground equipment is old and beginning to decay.
Several pieces of equipment have been removed by School District 43, which owns the property that was previously home to the former Burquitlam elementary school, and Jeffrey said replacing the equipment would benefit the entire community because children who live in the neighbourhood would also be able to use it.
“This would be up to $100,000 to build an amazing playground, so everybody around us can use it,” she said.
The entry for Mediated Learning Academy is the only one for the Lower Mainland in the BCAA Play Here contest and the public can vote up to four times a day on either Facebook, Twitter, Google or an email account. The contest closes June 15 at 11:59 p.m.
For more information, go to www.bcaaplayhere.com.
