Saturday, June 10, 2017
Saturday, June 10 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center.
The Junior League of Grand Rapids (JLGR) and the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center (GRCDC) will hold a community build to install the Junior League Wellness Adventure Yard (JL W.A.Y.) on Saturday, June 10 from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. JLGR, in collaboration with GRCDC, will aid in building an outdoor play area for both the students and the community to enjoy. This is the second major community partnership for the JL W.A.Y. The first installment was built at the YWCA Domestic Crisis Shelter in September of 2014. The JL W.A.Y. project is an outreach effort to improve children's physical health by providing safe and engaging play areas for children.
The Junior League of Grand Rapids proudly serves our community by promoting volunteerism and is dedicated to improving the state of children’s physical health in our community. It has been actively working in Grand Rapids since 1926 and is a member of the Association of Junior Leagues International, a worldwide organization of over 150,000 volunteers.
Our largest program, the JL W.A.Y. has a goal of bringing adventure education to Grand Rapids neighborhoods. Adventure education provides opportunities for children to practice goal setting, build confidence, and explore concepts of cooperation and teamwork during play sessions on specialized equipment. Each JL W.A.Y. is customized to the specific location at which it is established. JLGR has proudly developed Kids in the Kitchen, a hands-on initiative in the Grand Rapids area schools to educate children and their families about fitness and nutrition. In 2017, JLGR, in close partnership with the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, launched the pilot program Backpack Buddies. Backpack Buddies provides nutritious pre-packed meals to students who may be food insecure to help bridge the gap between Friday and Monday.
Members of JLGR focus all of their resources and energy on projects that drive positive community change in children’s physical health. By investing today in children’s health, JLGR is creating long-term positive outcomes for kids.
GRCDC is a diverse, urban, K-5 school in the heart of Grand Rapids, MI. It currently has 260 children enrolled. The school believes in education based on relationships; relationships to others, to ideas, to the environment and the larger community. This approach is based on the Reggio Emilia method which encourages curiosity, discovery and connectedness. This shared experience in passionate discovery engages all members of the school community in co-constructing a unique and effective education. The mission of the GRCDC is to continuously expand the potential of children, the experiences of educators and the involvement of parents within the diverse community of Grand Rapids.
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