Building Joy: New Playground Transforms Circle City Prep
In just one day, volunteers transformed an empty space at Circle City Prep into a brand-new playground. The project highlights the power of community partnerships and a shared commitment to creating spaces where children can learn, play and thrive.
Writer: Dennis Jarrett
What began as an empty patch of ground early one morning became a vibrant new playground by the afternoon, thanks to an extraordinary partnership between Circle City Prep, the JD Foundation, and KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to ending play space inequity.
More than 100 JD Foundation volunteers joined community members and Circle City Prep staff to construct the playground in a single day, creating a lasting gift for the school’s 425 kindergarten through eighth-grade students.
“This is about creating joy,” said Marty Posch, president of the JD Foundation. “We believe all kids deserve a safe, fun place to play. What we’re building today is going to be here for decades, and it’s going to be a shining spot for these kids because of the work that everybody put in.”
JD employees raised $45,000 toward the playground, while the foundation provided additional funding to complete the project. Volunteers also contributed countless hours of labor, assembling equipment, spreading mulch, and helping transform the space from concept to reality.
For Circle City Schools founder and executive director Meghan Murphy, the new playground fulfills a long-held dream.
“For years we’ve wanted a new play space,” Murphy said. “This gives our scholars a place that mirrors what we want for them—a vibrant space where they can play, build friendships, take risks, and create memories that will last a lifetime.”
“This is about creating joy. We believe all kids deserve a safe, fun place to play.”
— Marty Posch
The playground was designed through a collaborative process led by KaBOOM!, which invited students and community members to help shape the final design.
“We sat down with the kids and asked them what their dream playground would look like,” said Jomil Medina De Jesus, associate director of project management for KaBOOM! “This playground is one of a kind. It was designed for and by the Circle City Prep community.”
Founded 30 years ago, KaBOOM! has built more than 17,000 play spaces nationwide. Medina-DeJesus noted that playgrounds are more than recreational spaces; they are essential to childhood development.
“Playgrounds are where kids learn confidence, social skills, and how to build relationships,” she said. “The more playgrounds we build, the more lives we can positively impact.”
For JD Foundation volunteers, the playground represents another investment in Indianapolis’ Far Eastside. As Posch noted, “We want people to look around this community and know that we were here, supporting the places and people that matter.”
By day’s end, Circle City Prep had gained more than a playground—it gained a symbol of what can happen when a community comes together to invest in its children.
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