New Emerson wins Colorado Health Foundation grant

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - New Emerson, a K-5 Elementary School in Orchard Mesa, is set to break ground on a new community playground in May.

The playground will be STEAM-themed, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The equipment will be education-based with lessons in gravity and friction. It was made possible by a grant from the Colorado Health Foundation for just under $200,000. The new playground will replace 20-year-old metal play pieces and reimagine a currently empty grassy field. The students are all very excited for the new educational playground.

”I’m really excited that we’re getting the new playground cuz the other one’s really old,” said second grader Josephine Wilbert. “So its gonna be really exciting to the kids in the neighborhood and to everybody at New Emerson. And I’m excited because we’re gonna be getting a bunch of new equipment not just a new playground, we’re getting a tower and some swings.”

Construction will start the week of May 23 and will be completed in August by the time the kids come back to school.

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