Sometimes, making a big difference starts with noticing a need and deciding to do something about it.

For Carianne Koschak, that need was right in her own community at Robert F. Woodall Elementary School, home to students in kindergarten through second grade.

After joining the school's PTO last year, Carianne learned that much of the playground equipment had been there for decades. As older structures were removed for safety reasons, the funds were not available to replace them, leaving students with limited options for outdoor play. The ground also tended to stay soggy after rain, sometimes keeping children from enjoying recess for days.

“Recess is a very important time of the day for the kids,” she explained. “It helps them get through the rest of the day,” providing opportunities to “exert energy and make friends.”

Motivated by those benefits, she began researching ways to transform the space into something better for the children. Her vision is an updated, inclusive environment where students of all abilities have opportunities to play together.

The cost of a complete renovation was daunting, so Carianne developed a phased approach that allows the school and community to make progress one step at a time.

Thanks to a generous donation from Farmers Bank, the first phase will focus on adding something students have specifically requested: slides.

The PTO has also replaced older swings with new ones, giving students more comfortable equipment to enjoy. Another improvement will prepare the back area for more usable play space, allowing children to run around and spread out during recess.

Carianne is working with local businesses, exploring grant opportunities and building partnerships to help fund future phases. Brett Boston of Bro Scapes, LLC continues to donate landscaping services, such as removing wood chips and leveling ground, as those needs arise.

“A lot of them didn't know that this was a need that was there,” Carianne said of the local businesses she has approached. By starting conversations and sharing the school's needs, she is helping connect community support with a meaningful opportunity to make a difference.

School staff members are also pursuing grants because they see firsthand how much students need more room and opportunities to play.

The long-term goal is a modern, inclusive play area where every child can find a place to participate.

For Carianne, the project is personal. Her daughter, Dorothy, attends Robert F. Woodall, and Carianne understands the friendships and memories that can begin during recess.

“My daughter met her best friend on the playground,” she shared.

Now, she hopes to help create those same opportunities for other children.

Her advice for anyone who notices a need in their community but isn't sure how to help is simple: start somewhere.

“I had no idea where to start,” Carianne admitted. “I just started seeing what it would cost, seeing what it would take.”

When the initial estimates proved overwhelming, she adjusted her approach, researched alternatives, and broke the project into manageable phases.

The transformation will take time, but each donation, grant, and improvement brings the school closer to its goal.

At Robert F. Woodall Elementary, this effort is about more than new equipment. It's about giving children more opportunities to move, build friendships, grow in confidence, and enjoy the simple, important experience of being kids. One recess at a time. 

Do you want to be part of this mission? Contact Carianne via email.