IU charity builds playgrounds

When IU professor Jon Racek sees a playground, he sees the potential for growing and learning. Now, he is asking the community to help.

Racek is the founder and executive director of Play360, a non-profit that trains organizations to build playgrounds and other learning resources in developing countries.

The group will be raising awareness at the Taste of East Africa event, organized by Kilimanjaro Education Outreach, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Harmony School, 909 E. 2nd St. Proceeds will benefit educational projects throughout the world.

Each group trained by Play360 is asked to build three schools in its area, benefiting about 600 children per group.

Racek founded Play360 in 2008 after meeting a playground builder while living in Thailand. After working for a while at the border of Thailand and Burma, Racek returned to the United States and furthered his work.

“We have an active board and a lot of volunteers,” Racek said.

By building playgrounds in places like Guatemala, Tanzania and the Philippines, Racek said they are trying to fill the gap between teachers and students. Putting things in the kids’ hands, he said, allows them to improve the quality of student interaction.

About two years ago, Play360 erected a playground in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Because of limited space, however, the group ended up constructing the playground on the roof of the school.

Along with a variety of volunteers, Alwiya Omar, an IU clinical professor of linguistics who teaches Swahili, has helped to expand Play360. 

Omar found out about Play360 when Racek attended the Kilimanjaro Education Outreach program and spoke on behalf of Play360. She said she was able to collaborate with Racek and help him find connections in places like Zanzibar where more elementary schools have since received the playgrounds that Play360 is known for.

“It’s amazing involving teachers and parents in the process,” Omar said. “I never thought about that.” 

Omar said one of several ways that people can help Play360 expand further is by donating not just time or money, but resources like tires.

Later in the spring, Racek said Play360 is planning a Swing-A-Thon where people will be sponsored to swing on a playground swing. This money will benefit Play360’s next projected trips.

The group is currently discussing traveling to China, Nepal and Guatemala this summer. Both Racek and Omar want students to know there is a variety of ways to get involved. Students can act as ambassadors, encouraging people to donate both money and goods to the project, and volunteers, actually traveling and working with Play360.

“There are just so many things going on,” Racek said. “I draw a lot of resources across campus.”

Though Omar has not personally gone out and volunteered with the construction, she said she was very pleased by what she has seen of Racek’s work so far. 

“I want to go and see the work,” Omar said. “It moved me, the sight of happy students and teachers.”

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 Amanda Marino on Twitter @amandanmarino.