Chris Roethlein, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Operations Management Bryant University

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Project Description - "The Land of Ahs" An exciting project was undertaken by Bryant University students. Through a creative partnering of Bryant University students, The Killingly Quiet Corner Regional Lions Club, and the concerned citizens of the Northeast Corner, a playground that is over 70% accessible to children with disabilities was built. We worked with Boundless Playgrounds, a non-profit group, to design a handicap accessible playground. These special playgrounds are extremely important to the community as a whole because they allow ALL children, children without disabilities and also children who have physical, sensory and/or developmental disabilities, the opportunity to interact and be “kids” with one another. Why does Northeastern CT need this playground? The main goal of a Boundless Playground is to provide all children (disabled and typically abled) with the opportunity to play together. An additional goal for designing these playgrounds is to have them accessible for Grandparents of all abilities. Northeastern Connecticut has 20,829 school aged children and approximately 10.0% of them (about 2,088) are considered disabled. Additionally, 39.2% of the elderly are considered disabled. Once this playground is erected, therapy sessions for young and old may be held at the playground. To date, there are presently no playgrounds of this type in Northeastern CT. Location "The Land of Ahs" playground is situated in Owen Bell Park, located at 572 Hartford Pike, Killingly, CT. Owen Bell Park is located on Route 101 and is adjacent to I-395. This location is ideal because children with disabilities which prevent them from enjoying their local neighborhood playgrounds will be traveling from western Rhode Island, eastern Connecticut, and southern Massachusetts to enjoy this playground. Although we are mainly targeting the Northeast Corner of Connecticut (The Quiet Corner), residents from this tri-state area will participate in the fun, development and learning for all children. Unique College Student Effort We believe that we are different than other Boundless Playground projects because we involved college students and they were the driving force behind this effort. Students wrote the grants and planned fundraising. Students were involved in writing federal, state and individual organization grants as well as creating a public relations campaign. Because this project was made possible through the charitable efforts of the students of Bryant University, we are making imminent business leaders aware of those less fortunate than most of us. The attitude of giving to the community will hopefully carry on in their business lives when these students are more able to create change. Mission Our mission is to provide a quality educational experience through an innovative project that combine State government, nonprofit organizations, and business to train our young people to become leaders, either through position or example, who will go forth to strengthen and improve the community. More specifically, to promote a closer affiliation between the business world and students by providing a hands-on learning experience that promotes an attitude of giving back to the community, specifically benefiting children with disabilities. Project Expense Recently constructed playgrounds of this type have cost between $300,000-$500,000 and take about eighteen months to build. Because we are revamping an existing playground, it is our goal to construct a playground in the $200,000 range. Bryant University students donated their cost free services in order to raise the necessary funds and awareness for this project. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Roethlein, Faculty Advisor to the Boundless Playground Project and Associate Professor of Operations Management at Bryant University. He can be reached at (401) 232-6721 or croethle@bryant.edu This playground is a project that Bryant University and the towns in The Quiet Corner hold dear to our hearts. Through your support we have been able to make our dream, and the dreams of all the young children who benefit from this playground, possible. Working together with the students of Bryant University we made a positive difference! Construction - Completed!! Owen Bell Park, 572 Hartford Pike, Killingly, CT (Route 101 near I-395) Stop by to see the playground or click here for some construction photos. Current Fundraisers T-Shirts! Support "The Land of Ahs" by purchasing an "Imagine..." T-Shirt for $10.00. Many thanks to Danielson Surplus for donating the shirts. Therefore, 100% of your contribution goes directly to building "A Playground for Children of All Abilities". Thank you for your interest and support!