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Perspective: Collaboration Builds “Miracle on North 10th Street” at Elementary School

Posted on 12/20/2022

by Diana Wilhold, Deputy Executive Director/COO, Construction Forum

All good outcomes start with relationships, aligned missions, and focused action.

In November, I was asked by a former colleague at BJC HealthCare if the Forum would have any resources to help Patrick Henry Elementary School (located at 1220 North 10th St.) in the St. Louis Public Schools to create equal access for students and community members to move with ease around the garden beds, despite their level of mobility.

Dr. Deborah Rogers, principal of Patrick Henry Elementary with Scott Downs, left, and Jeff Caputa of Cement Masons Local 527.

The need was to pour concrete pads between their garden beds so the students with assistive walking devices and the senior living residents across the street could have access to tend to the garden and be a part of the school community learning environment.

One of the advantages of working with like-minded people is the ease and quick response the need went from an ask to a project plan. In less than one week, I scheduled a meeting with Scott Downs, Cement Masons Local 527 Joint Apprenticeship Training Coordinator/Instructor, and Instructor Jeff Caputa. I was seeking support from their apprentices as a learning project as well as an opportunity to bring students from the school for an onsite visit to observe the construction process and ask questions.

“Such a Beautiful Thing”

Dr. Deborah Rogers, the principal of Patrick Henry, says the school was “blown away” by the community response. The school reached out to community groups, Rogers said. The ask was simple but daunting: “We need this Herculean project and we can’t pay anything. It’s an amazing magical garden, but not accessible by all of our children.”

 

“The senior living center has the only people in the neighborhood who know anything about gardening but it was not accessible to them,” Dr. Rogers said. The response to the ask, “Was hilarious. ‘I know this person, I know that person.’ And all of them came up with Construction Forum.”

She had made inquiries to the administrators at St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) and was told to get bids for the project. The first bid came in at $37,000 for materials alone. Patrick Henry’s entire capital budget is $27,000 per year.

“It was such a beautiful thing. People really want to help public education. It was a beautiful effort. We met once or twice. Within 48 hours of our meeting, they had a plan with the (cement masons) apprentice program.

“They were in our backyard showing the kids the coolest (career) ever. When the cement truck showed up, the kids completely lost it.”  Dr. Rogers, who has worked in SLPS since 2010 and Patrick Henry since 2019, called the effort, “beautiful, unexpected, and really close to life.”

She said that teachers at Patrick Henry, recognizing a teachable moment, studied concrete and ADA accessibility and integrated them into their teaching.  Students learned, “Why is it important for everyone to have access.”

Dr. Rogers said, “It literally takes a village and this village produced so much beyond our wildest expectations. It was very special, one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen from a community.”

Cement Masons Apprenticeship Coordinator Scott Downs said, “We really enjoyed connecting with the St. Louis Public Schools to give them space for the handicapped kids and the elderly community. I believe it will be an excellent opportunity to allow them adequate space to navigate around the garden beds.”

“The apprentices enjoyed an opportunity to do something for the community and give every child the same opportunity to be out there.”

Pathways to Learning and Discovery

“Too often our students don’t have access to outdoor spaces that are safe and fully accessible,” Leanne White, EdS, St. Louis Public Schools Healthy Schools Program and AIM (Academics in Movement) director said.  “When our community partners, heard about the need for level concrete pathways between the garden beds in the Outdoor Learning Space at Patrick Henry, they immediately turned to get input from Diana Wilhold with Construction Forum.

“To my amazement, Diana along with Scott Downs of the cement masons immediately stepped up and took the necessary actions needed to fulfill that need at Patrick Henry. Now the students, staff, and members of the Patrick Henry community have level, safe, beautiful cement pathways between each garden bed that are fully accessible to all.

“On behalf of Patrick Henry and St. Louis Public Schools, I can not thank all of these community partners enough for pulling together to complete this work. These new garden bed pathways will be utilized by multiple students for many years. They will become pathways to learning and discovery for our students.”

 

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