Volunteer needs

Contact Greg Lewis or Darla Rhodes if you're interested in helping out.
OR go to our Signup Genius  


Here is a list of areas we need volunteers to help with!
All volunteer hours spent on these projects count towards our grant match!  
Each hour you donate to the project generates 20$ in grant funds!

Playground Fundraising Event/Auction
*We already have a growing team of volunteers for this project!
*If you would like to help this plan this fun event, or if you have items to contribute to the auction, contact Darla Rhodes or Julie Wittman.


Dump Run fund raiser
*Lead coordinators for this project are Julie Wittman and Janel London
*Advertise to neighborhood and community
*Sell tickets
*Obtain Truck(s) and coordinate food and beverages for volunteers
*Organize Volunteers and track matching hours


Coordinate choosing new play equipment
* Meet with SPS staff to determine allowable choices of equipment
* Meet with Vendors to evaluate choices of new equipment
* Coordinate meetings with community to solicit input on new equipment

Communication Coordinator/Lead
* Help design flyers or posters for fundraisers and community meetings
* Write blog posts to Wallyhood and other information sites.
* Coordinate printing of flyers.
* Distribute flyers to residents around the neighborhood
* Distribute flyers/posters to area businesses for posting

Community outreach Organizer/Lead
* Assist with scheduling and organizing public meetings
* Coordinate meeting set-up & clean-up
* Coordinate food, beverages, and materials for meetings

Work party for dismantling old play equipment Coordinator/Lead
* Organize a team of volunteers to dismantle and dispose of old play structure
* Coordinate transportation and disposal fees.
* Track volunteer hours for Grant matching

Work party for Site preparation and assembling new equipment. 
* Organize a team of volunteers to prepare site,  assemble/install new play structure
* Coordinate delivery of new equipment and disposal of packaging.
* Coordinate with Vendor for onsite professional supervision of assembly
* Provide food and beverages, and clean up
*  Track volunteer hours for Grant matching

Create a small Tori Gate
* Design and build a Tori gate over one of the entrances of the play area like this

* Solicit reduced cost or donated materials.
* Coordinate with SPS to ensure Tori meets safety standards and fits site specifications.
*Organize work parties for assembly and installation.

Add international themed tiles
*Explore options for student created tiles to be installed along raised border of play area
*Develop fundraising plan for families to sponsor creation of tiles
*Recruit artist or SPS staff to guide classrooms in creating tiles
*Coordinate work party for installation of tiles
* Fleur De Lis garden Art in Fremont has indicated they are willing to create cast concrete tiles made from student sculpted plaques at reduced cost!  Details of this project would need to be worked out!

WE GOT THE GRANT!!!!

I am very pleased to announce that we have been recommended for a $100,000 matching grant from Department of Neighborhoods!!!

This is an amazing opportunity to improve our playground!

These grants are extremely competitive.  We were one of 12 approved out of a pool of over 30 applicants.    There are many many worthy projects in the city.  Because of this, the Department of Neighborhoods would be unlikely to approve our school for another grant like this for quite a long time.

Did you know Seattle Public Schools does not provide any funding for Playground improvement?

Did you know JSIS has one of the smallest playgrounds in the district?

Our playground is used by over 450 children per day.

Our older playground equipment is now 20 years old and has required many repairs.

Our older playground equipment is designed for children 5-8 years old and does not meet the needs of our older children.

The design of our raised play area creates barriers to access, takes up valuable space on our crowded playground and has been a source of injuries.

Did you know the children circulated a petition to improve the playground and obtained over 300 of their classmates signatures!

This Grant represents a once in a decade opportunity to improve the playground.

Lets make the most of this!!

The next step will be fundraising!

To make the improvements needed, our goal is to raise at least $50,000 by November 30th of this year!