“Eagles Reach for the Sky” is a mural in the Liberty Elementary recess court for kids, families, and the surrounding Shadyside neighborhood to enjoy. First inspired by the fact that less and less children are playing sports and being active, especially young girls, I wanted to create a court design to inspire children’s play.

I began this journey by building a relationship with Liberty Elementary with the goal for the design to reflect the students. Creating a drawing activity for the students allowed them to imagine, draw, and share with me their dream recess court. They submitted these drawings, helping inspire and lead my design process. I then observed recess to see how the kids play in their space. Referencing these drawings and observing their recess time, I prioritized creating a modular design to elevate joy, foster imagination, and inspire play, with the added benefit of making their recess space a little brighter and more colorful. Inspired by the scribbles and winding lines in many of the Liberty students’ drawings, different pathways full of different shapes allow Liberty students and neighborhood children to follow these painted paths, define their own games, and let them interact with their play space in a whole new way. After proposing three designs to the Liberty Elementary community, they voted on them, choosing the “Eagles Reach for the Sky” option. With the eagle as Liberty Elementary’s mascot, this design is perfect in reflecting the students’ potential and their limitless futures ahead of them!