WHEATLAND — Wyoming Cowboy ChalleNGe Academy cadets teamed up with the University of Wyoming Extension Office to make play areas on the concrete at West Elementary School on Friday.
Mary Evans, Cent$ible Nutrition program assistant with UW Platte County Extension, explained the cadets were creating play areas like a scooter path and four-square courts at West.
“It’s to get kids out and active,” Evans said. “Elementary age kids need 60 minutes of exercise per day. We’re trying to encourage that.”
Cowboy ChalleNGe cadets used stencils to trace patterns in chalk on the pavement, and then made the patterns more permanent with paint. The cadets created a scooter path that resembles a roadway with stop signs and more. They also made four-square courts and a target area for bean bag tossing.
Evans said the project helps the cadets fulfill their requirements for community service hours. She hopes to employ more cadets next year to create play areas at other local schools.
Wyoming Cowboy ChalleNGe Academy, located at Camp Guernsey, is a program developed by the National Guard to provide a safe, disciplined, professional learning environment for at-risk teens ages 16-18. More information about the academy can be found at its website, wycowboychallenge.org, or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WyoCCA.
