Helping The Center for Creative Education Students Build Their Dream Playground

Two years ago, students at the Susan and Dom Tulesko Center for Creative Education were handed markers and asked a simple question: If you could design the perfect playground, what would it look like? In October, that vision became reality. At the ribbon cutting for the new playground, students ran across the play surface pointing out structures they imagined, sketched and helped bring to life.

The Center for Creative Education is a nonprofit organization that transforms learning through creativity, the arts and hands on teaching. The organization supports students in Palm Beach County through in classroom arts integration, after school programs and The Foundations School, an innovative K through 5 program that focuses on improving literacy, creativity and confidence. CCE plays a critical role in our community, especially for children who benefit from smaller class sizes, individualized instruction and experiential learning.

Cotleur & Hearing provided land planning and landscape architecture services and our team led the design concept for the outdoor space. Kompan manufactured the playground equipment and partnered with the project team during installation. The playground includes a twisting slide, climbing structure, swings and outdoor courts that encourage movement, social interaction and imaginative play. The final design reflects exactly what the students envisioned.

Seeing students sprint toward the finished playground, recognizing elements they once drew by hand, was the moment everything came together. It is rare for a project to begin with a child’s sketch and end with that same child playing on the structure they imagined. It is a reminder that design has the power to inspire confidence, creativity and possibility. This project represents the heart of what we do. We design places that connect people, elevate community and give children a space to imagine what is possible.