In the summer of 2013, Phillip LaFrance approached The Korte Company for a little help for his Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Service Project. All he needed was some brushes and paint, a giant map template, and some construction tape. Oh, yes – and lots and lots of elbow grease.
Phillip’s plan was to paint a 1/100th scale version of the U.S. Map onto the playground of the Highland Primary School’s playground in Highland, Illinois.
As per the plan, Phillip headed the project – and with a group of volunteers, friends, and a very supportive family, planned, stenciled, outlined and painted the map onto the playground’s surface. The map features all fifty states as well as the Five Great Lakes and was completed in time for the first day of school.
According to sources from the playground, and close to the author of this blog, the map is “pretty awesome”. The interactive map not only provies a learning space for children on the playground, but also provides teachers and parents with a fun, outdoor learning tool. The possibilities range from learning the nation’s Capital Cities to explaining time zones. And really, the only limitations of the map are the imaginations of the children interacting with it.
We wish Phillip the best of luck on his journey to Eagle Scout and are proud to have been able to help him along the way.
