LSU biological and agricultural engineering professor Marybeth Lima and her students are asking elementary students to create their dream playground, and are doing everything they can to make those dreams a reality.
Lima’s biology in engineering class spends the semester designing a playground for a local school or organization.
The class is taught once a year and each section has a different partner they design a playground for. This semester the three sections are working with Ryan Elementary, McMains Children’s Developmental Center and Labelle Aire Elementary School.
“What I really hope that they get from the class is how to design something effectively with a community partner that reflects the soul of that community,” Lima said. “All three designs are going to be distinctive because they are going to reflect the best aspects of that community.”
The students begin the class by visiting city park and learning basic vocabulary and playground safety standards. They then visit their partner school or organization to talk to the children and faculty about what they want in a playground and begin designing.
Teaching Assistant and biological engineering sophomore Adriana Deras said the difference after the class redesigns the playgrounds is astonishing.
“You truly don’t see a playground the same afterwards,” Deras said.
Throughout the semester, the class visits a few playgrounds to get a sense of what is out there, Lima said.
This is Lima’s 20th time building playgrounds. When she first came to the University, she created this first-year design class because playgrounds are something all students are familiar with, which makes it easier to design.
“Playground design is all about child safety and child development,” Lima said. “You’re building an environment to meet kids’ basic needs. It pertains to biological engineering, all students knew something about it coming in, and all students I think enjoy it.”
Lima said funding is where the creativity comes in. They fundraise and write grant proposals to raise money to build. National nonprofit organization KaBOOM!, dedicated to bringing a playground within a mile of every child in the U.S., has funded four of Lima’s 34 playgrounds.
They are not always able to build the playgrounds immediately—waiting for funding may take years. Once the playground is ready to be built, Lima reaches out to the students who designed the playground to help build along with community members.
“It builds a lot of community spirit,” Lima said. “I’m really excited to teach the class where they go from working with a child and coming up with a concept to actually being able to participate in the build.”
The class is where the designs start, but the LSU Community Playground Project ensures the completion of the playground, Lima said.
Lima started the LSU Community Playground Project in 1998. It consists of a research and design team of Teaching Assistants.
Teaching Assistant and biological engineering senior Jeanne Steyer said the best part of working on the project is presenting the design to the children.
“It is hilarious some of the things they say and how excited they get,” Steyer said. “Sometimes we have them draw out what their dream playground is to help with the inspiration.”
Lima’s students also participate as Volunteers in Public Schools as reading or math tutors to get to know the children better.
“[Lima] does so much for the community,” Deras said. “She inspires me to care about the community.”

Gallery • 12 Photos

Caleb Bourque

In order to get inspiration for a future project, LSU students gather to experience Perkins Road Community Park’s playgrounds at the corner of Perkins Road and Kenilworth Parkway on Thursday, March 15, 2018.