Central Academy Wins $25,000 Playground Makeover

    Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge conducted a Facebook contest (www.facebook.com/voagbr) over the last few weeks through its GetSmartGBR and Project PlaySmart initiative. Central Academy and Child Care in Central, LA is the grand prize winner of a  $25,000 playground makeover to be built this summer. 
    Central Academy and Child Care has been in business for 28 years.  They provide early childhood education and care daily to 179 children ranging in age from birth to age 5.  They also provide after school care and summer camps to children in the Central area.  Bob Lansing, Central Academy’s owner and director, is excited about the new playground and hopes to include a built-in hill slide, sand and water area and a garden.  He also would like to build a bike path around the new playground.
    Nearly 20 child care centers submitted applications that included photos of their current playground, and a blind panel of community volunteers determined the three finalists. The three finalists were Central Academy and Child Care (9739 Joor Rd), A Lil One’s Learning Center (4952 Stumberg Ln), and Rhema Christian Learning Center (7850 Plank Rd). The two runners-up will be able to improve their playgrounds with their $3,000 prize. 
     The objective of Project PlaySmart is to enhance the outdoor “classroom” to promote physical, cognitive and social/emotional development that complements indoor learning and prepares preschoolers to enter kindergarten ready to learn.