Community Forklift’s Community Building Blocks program provided free materials to the Seat Pleasant Elementary School Welcome Space – a lobby area that now has comfortable seating for parents, students, and community partners to enjoy.
The new Welcome Space is not only a lounge area but also serves as a space to foster positive social interactions among the students. “In the afternoon our students who are waiting for their vans sit in our welcome area. Since adding the new furniture, these students can be found reading together, playing games together and even teaching each other Spanish. The space has really helped make a comfortable space for students to build relationships,” says Desiree Early, the principal at Seat Pleasant Elementary.
When asked what inspired the school to create the Welcome Space, Desiree shared that Covid-19 affected how staff could interact with families, but they were making changes to engage more with them. She adds, “For so long our interactions have been solely through the computer. As we thought about restoring our school to a sense of ‘normal,’ it was important to create welcoming spaces that expressed our sincere appreciation for in-person interactions. The welcome space for families sets the tone that we are thankful to have our families joining us in person once again.”
In addition to supplying furniture for the Welcome Space, Community Forklift also provided the school with a sofa and chairs for its Teachers’ Lounge, also known as the “Zen Den.” This comfortable space offers teachers and staff a quiet place to relax and recharge during the school day.
“Our staff at Seat Pleasant Elementary work hard. We thought it was important to create a space where we could express appreciation for that hard work and allow our staff a kid free space to relieve stress and reset so that we can be our best for our students,” says Desiree.
Seat Pleasant Elementary School is a Title 1 school located in Prince George’s County that provides students Head Start, grades K-6, ESOL, and a K-6 Autism program. The school prides itself on promoting a learning community where everyone can learn, grow, and flourish in their gifts. If you are interested in partnering with Seat Pleasant Elementary School, please contact Principal Desiree Early at desiree.murphy@pgcps.org.
The Community Building Blocks Program acts as a resource to support schools, nonprofit organizations, and community groups all around the DMV area. Read the Community Building Blocks news updates on our website to learn about some of the other projects that have been completed using free salvaged materials from Community Forklift. If you know of an organization that could benefit from free items, please direct them to our website to learn more and apply.
Seat Pleasant Elementary School Welcome Space
“Since adding the new furniture, these students can be found reading together, playing games together and even teaching each other Spanish. The space has really helped make a comfortable space for students to build relationships.”
Seat Pleasant Elementary School “Zen Den”
Every time you donate or shop at Community Forklift, you’re helping us lift up local communities through reuse. We turn the construction waste stream into a resource stream for communities in the DC region – by keeping perfectly good items out of the landfill, preserving historical materials, providing low-cost building supplies, and creating local green jobs.
