School did not have an inclusive playground — the fifth graders took it upon themselves to change things

If children with disabilities are left out due to a lack of facilities, they will begin to develop the thinking that they are different in a negative way. The 5th graders at Glen Lake Elementary realized that their playground was not inclusive for fellow students who had disabilities, per CBS News. Their little minds weren’t aware of the effects this could have on the kids but knew that they wanted to be with and play with their friends. As a result, they joined hands together and came up with a solution themselves and it is heartwarmingly inspiring.

The fifth graders noticed that during recess, their friends with special needs were forced to stay out of slides, swings and playing because there was no equipment suited for their needs. Many of the students made heartbreaking observations. “It just didn't seem fair that some kids were left out,” one student said. Another young boy added, “It's sad to see other kids go through that.” Yet another kid remarked, “They didn't look happy and recess is about having fun.” "I wanted to climb, I wanted to run but I knew with our current situation I could not do that," said John Buettner, who uses a wheelchair.

Betsy Julien, teacher and organizer of the project, also has a son in the same school who uses a wheelchair, per NPR. It had been her dream too, to see her son play during recess like other kids. The students posed a question — “Why can’t we buy the equipment ourselves?” The teacher informed them that it would cost around $300,000 to get the equipment. However, the kids were insistent on getting their friends to make memories, enjoy playtime and feel accepted — no matter the cost.

They started small, with their collections, saving up a few dollars here and there. Eventually, they got down to business with bigger funds. These included door-to-door donations, cold-calling and many other strategies. "It takes a lot of work because you have to write a script and see if they want to donate to us,” Raqiya Haji, one of the students, shared. Their initial goal was to get a wheelchair merry-go-round which cost around $35,000. However, with their energetic determination and infectious will to do good, they quickly complete this goal. Then, they moved on to a bigger one. 

The students were adamant they maintained their efforts to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to redo the entire playground for their friends. Julien shared various updates on Facebook, with glimpses of the playground underway as she requested continued support. After 14 long months of dedication, effort and love, the funds were hopeful. "Our entire playground for Glen Lake: $860,000 fully funded. So how exciting is that," Julien remarked. In a post, she shared a picture of one of her students in a wheelchair holding a sign that read “Feeling blessed!” 

With tears in their eyes, the students were delighted to have accomplished their goal. “We made it,” one of them remarked. "To sit here in this wheelchair right now and know that there are people out there who care what situation I'm in. I know that they care about us and that there's a sense of hope for kids in wheelchairs," Buettner said. “I just feel some sense of capability,” he added.