Schroeder Girl Scouts Plan and Build Playground Board

Can you imagine not being able to talk with your friends at recess and tell them what you want to do? This is the problem that the Schroeder Elementary Robo-Dragons Girl Scouts team wanted to fix. The Robo-Dragons, Megan Hatto, Samantha Downs, Isha Chawla, Shalini Srinivas, Tatum Sheckell, Lily Bastien, Lila Sieber, and Edy Mayotte, have been a robotics team together since Kindergarten. They settled on helping kids with disabilities for their innovation project in their First Lego League Robotic competition. The Girl Scouts goal was to help kids with severe communication delays, such as students with Autism or Down Syndrome, have fun at recess. The Girls did research and they found that the best way to make this happen was a Playground Communication Core board.

One member of the team, Megan Hatto explained that, “It’s a board that has pictures representing words. If kids can’t talk or have limited language, they point to a picture with a friend and then they will be able to play if the word says ‘play’”. Speech Pathologist Jenny Michalek said, “This is a good way for kids with a communication delay whether severe or moderate to be able to let people know what they want. This can help prevent tantrums or an isolated feeling.” Using the communication boards, kids can combine pictures to create many messages, such as “I want swing,” “I like you,” “I go on playscape,” “I want help,” and “I get ball.”

In order to raise money for the communication board, the Robo-Dragons Girl Scouts team started with a presentation to their Schroeder Principal, Mr. Brian Canfield. Mr. Canfield allowed the team to host a Pajama Day at Schroeder Elementary. Students were able to wear pajamas at school for a $2.00 for a donation to the communication board. The Schroeder students and staff were so supportive and raised over $200 from this event. One student, Peyton Glynn said, “It should be near the swings on the 1st and 2nd grade playground because that is where a lot of kids play.” Glynn also decided, “This can help kids learn better and have a good environment to learn in.”

The Robo Dragons worked with Mr. Pryde, a special education teacher at Schroeder, to write a grant for the Troy Women’s Association for $312. Two Girl Scouts members created a small neighborhood business for making and selling handcrafted soap. Between the grant, the Pajama day fundraiser, and the soap sales, the team raised all of the money to purchase the communication board. Canfield was proud of his students: “It is impressive to not only see our students excel at Schroeder, but for students to really embrace helping others and serving the school. The Girl Scouts saw a need in their community and worked to help others.”

The Robo-Dragons Girl Scouts team is so thankful for the support from Girl Scouts Southeastern Michigan, Mr. Canfield, Troy Women’s Association, and the Schroeder community. Said Scout Samantha Downs: "Its so exciting, because we worked hard on it and it was finally on the playground so Schroeder students can use it at recess and be social together." Scout Megan Hatto agreed: "I am so proud of our team’s accomplishment!! I hope this will help the Schroeder community for years to come.”

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