Atlantic City Electric has partnered with Gateway Community Action Partnership, the Borough of Paulsboro, and KABOOM! to construct a new playground for West Buck Street Park in Paulsboro, New Jersey. The project kicked off in January with Design Day, where local students and community members were given a blank canvas to create the playground of their dreams.

Gateway Community Action Partnership has been actively working in the Paulsboro community for almost 35 years. “The beauty of this KABOOM! project is that it is in the neighborhood we are working to revitalize, and we think it is a focal point. It is a jumpstart to a larger revitalization effort,” said Edward Bethea, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Gateway Community Action Partnership.

The excitement was high as students took crayons to paper to illustrate their dream playground. “Design Day is all about the community and local children having an opportunity to not only envision the ultimate play space, but play an active role in bringing that vision to life,” explained Kristin McEvoy, Director of External Affairs at Atlantic City Electric. “We encourage children to show us what they want to see in a playground in their community, and then we send it off to the builders, who will soon turn the children’s imagination into reality.”

The students came up with unique ideas, featuring slides, turtles, and lava pits, and the team at KABOOM! merged their designs to create an exciting outdoor play area. On April 10, Atlantic City Electric employees and the local community will join forces to build the playground.