This participatory project arose from the collaboration between the director of the Guidance Department of the Multilingual Primary and Nursery School (CEIP by its acronym in Spanish) “Isidro Parga Pondal”, Noa Vera Baliñas, and a teacher of the Degree in Occupational Therapy of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of A Coruña (UDC by its acronym in Galician), Natalia Rivas Quarneti.
In January 2018, we started planning the incorporation of this occupational therapist teacher in the school as a way to see the possible contributions of this profession in educational centres.
In the initial meetings, we raised the possibility of intervening in the playgrounds (with inclusive play and, also, in the space so that it facilitates the enjoyment of all children, among others). We were aware that the children, families, teachers and other school staff wanted to improve the playgrounds. There were already great ideas, so we sought to create synergies and channel these contributions with a project of collaboration and collective participation: Transforming the playgrounds.
To carry out this project, a work team was formed with experience in participatory methodologies, child and youth development and community development, from a critical occupational perspective.
As a methodology, we used photography and new technologies to reflect on what we like and dislike about the playgrounds from the perspective of the people involved in order to think, together, on how to improve them.
During the first half of the 2018/2019 academic year, the entire CEIP student body participated in the phase in which data was generated through photography (see results). Teachers, administration and services staff and families also participated. Since then, we have been working hard, in different phases, to transform the playgrounds based on the needs and priorities of the educational community. More information about the phases and actions, here
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The work team
April 2021
Dear school community, dear world!
As we mentioned a few months ago, the playground transformation project continues!
During these months, the parties involved, through their representatives (Parents’ Association – ANPA by its acronym in Spanish – for the families, management team for the school and the UDC team, occupational therapy) have been looking for alternatives to carry out the actions that had been prioritised in the last face-to-face meetings before the pandemic, adapting them to the current health context.
Before confinement, priority was given to painting the courtyards as a catalyst for transformation actions.
For this reason, in the 2020/2021 academic year, the children worked on proposals for the mural in the primary school playground. At the same time, a participatory mural (the children will be the protagonists) will be created in the nursery's playground.
We contacted artists who could take on the mural project this year and finally, Yoseba, will take on the project with great enthusiasm. You can see how he started his creative process based on the children's drawings, here.
The patio bleachers will also be intervened. A few weeks ago, all the classrooms voted in class and decided between different designs and which one they were going to paint on the primary school bleachers.
There was also work on finding the resources to do it. The ANPA finances the artist and the CEIP the painting of the bleachers, the repair of the wall of the façade where the mural will be made for the infant education, as well as some interactive tables where to play and have a snack.
All these actions will be carried out during this academic year.
We are also working on involving public administrations in other actions and proposals identified by the educational community.
We will continue to keep you informed, here, through the school and the ANPA.