If you have been around Mahomet Seymour’s Sangamon Elementary School during recess time, you know there is a lot of energy, playing, and fun on the playground. Mr. Cabutti plays football almost every lunch recess. Children race to the coveted swings. They jump from tire to tire.
While the point of recess is to play, burn off excess energy and practice social skills, that does not always happen for every child.
“Some kids just don’t know what to do” during recess, said first grade teacher Heather Jackson. “Some don’t know how to ask someone to play. Some are shy. Some don’t have good social skills,” she continued.
With that in mind, Jackson took an idea that started with a second grade boy in York, PA, and applied for a grant to bring his concept to Sangamon: The Bulldog Buddy Bench.
“I saw the idea a few years ago,” Jackson explained. “A boy named Christian Bush, in 2013, saw there were friends on his playground who didn’t have friends to play with. He took his idea to his principal of having a special bench where kids could go to let others know they wanted someone to play with.”
Although it started in Pennsylvania, the buddy bench has become an international endeavor. The Buddy Bench Facebook page boasts pictures of benches from around the United States and even in Ireland. No matter where they are located, all the benches have the same goal. “Inclusion and friendship,” said Jackson.
Bringing the Bulldog Buddy Bench to Mahomet took planning on Jackson’s part. She says the concept stayed with her until she saw an opportunity to apply for a grant from the Illinois Retired Teachers Association Foundation. The grant will pay for the cost of the bench, which Jackson will order through Polly Products in Michigan. She chose that company because they offer products made from 100 percent recycled materials. The bench’s cost was just shy of $400.
The Foundation awards $15,000 in grants to teachers throughout Illinois, according to the Foundation’s press release announcing Jackson’s award. Jackson said funding is available to teachers in Champaign County on a three year cycle. She said 24 grants were given this year to teachers throughout Illinios.
Jackson said she hopes the bench will grace Sangamon’s playground before winter break, and stay with Sangamon even after they move. Once the bench arrives, children will be taught the significance of the bench in a variety of ways.
“Miss Ditmars, our social worker, will talk about the notion of including everyone,” Jackson said, adding there is a curriculum that goes along with the bench.
“There will be grade-level assemblies for first and second grade.” Jackson said the main message of the assemblies will be that the bench is a special place where a person can go if they want to make a friend.
“We will tell them to bring their kindness to the bench. It’s a place for saying ‘yes’ if someone invites you to play,” Jackson noted.
If you look at Buddy Bench’s Facebook page, you will see benches from all around. Some are dedicated to the memory of a student or teacher who passed away. Some were funded by Girl and Boy Scout troops, or an Eagle Scout project. A few were commissioned by artists who donated their time and skills to create beautiful works of art. But while the benches all look different, their purpose is the same. For children who know they want to play with someone at recess, but who don’t know how to find a friend, the bench will be a safe harbor.
To see other Buddy Benches, go to www.facebook.com and search for Christian’s Buddy Bench. You also can go to the web site: www.buddybench.org
