Students at Central Point’s Madrone Trail Public Charter School hope to have a new place to play this fall as school staff and parent volunteers ramp up fundraising for a new playground at the school on Ross Lane.

The play space is projected to cost about $180,000, and will be built by community volunteers from Oct. 3-8.

The school’s old playground of about 10 years is set to “expire” in the fall, leading staff, the school board and parents to seek a creative solution.

Madrone Trail Public Charter School partnered with Play by Design, a playground-design firm based in Ithaca, New York, for the planned play space.

“We’re super jazzed about the project,” said Lisa Deshano of Play by Design, the senior project manager for the playground. It’s projects like these that remind us that this is our passion. Being able to work with this group has been really special.”

The new playground will be constructed in the same location as the old play space at the southeast corner of the school campus.

For the new playground’s planning process, Play by Design enlisted the help of some of the most creative and imaginative minds in the world: children.

The Madrone Trail students brainstormed and created playground drawings back in the spring, with Deshano meeting with 42 kids to hear their ideas and incorporate some into the final plan.

“It was really neat to be there with them on site,” Deshano said. “When I went to actually visit the school, I was able to talk with them and interpret their drawings.”

“It’s such a cool thing that [Play by Design] did, and it really fits our philosophy as a school, empowering the students to be creative and imaginative,” said parent volunteer Allie Hymas.

Some student-drawn designs the playground planners intend to include are a balance beam, a castle-inspired section and other add-ins.

“The design team put that into their design, which is unique to us and has elements that our students came up with,” said Kendall Roberts, executive director of Madrone Trail Public Charter School.

Considering Madrone Trail follows a Waldorf education style — a holistic approach that prioritizes developing students’ intellectual, artistic and practical skills with focus on imagination and creativity — it was a no-brainer to include the kids’ perspectives.

“It’s one of those things that’s so simple it’s brilliant,” Hymas said. “If you’re going to come up with a playground design, why not ask the kids what they want.”

Beyond the student-inspired elements, the playground will host a variety of obstacles and equipment — from typical mainstays such as monkey bars and swing sets to unique add-ins including a music area and a sprawling, asymmetrical design overall.

“It’s basically designed so that any way you look at it, parts of pathways are hidden and offer a sense of mystery,” Hymas said.

Designers were sure to incorporate inclusive structures and obstacles so that kids of differing ages and abilities can enjoy the playground all the same.

“All of our playgrounds are designed according to [The Americans with Disabilities Act] and accessibility guidelines, and Madrone Trail’s playground exceeds those guidelines,” Deshano said. “It’s a very inclusive playground where children and people of all ages can enjoy the playground.”

Some inclusive features will include differing heights for obstacles like the monkey bars; pathways for mobility devices to move through the play space with ease; along with features to make access and navigation easier for users with visual impairments and cochlear implants.

“It’s coming to life, so now we’re at the stage where we need to raise funds,” Roberts said. “It’s a very organized effort, and we’ll be reaching out to our business partners.”

“We’re asking for a lot of timber, and then what we really need is volunteers,” Hymas said. “We’re looking for people to not only volunteer on build days, but also people to volunteer to serve food.”

Beyond partnering with local businesses and finding volunteers, the school is hoping to reach $180,000 before October to ensure the play space is constructed. Supporters launched a gofundme campaign at www.gofundme.com/f/playground-structure?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer.

Citizens looking to volunteer and help out can email Roberts at kendall.roberts@madronetrail.org.

“It’s a pretty hefty build, but we’re looking for a showpiece that suits our needs and the community’s needs for years to come,” Roberts said.