Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
96% Of 371 Survey Respondents Like The Idea
Members of the Kimball High School senior civics class gave a PowerPoint presentation on their ideas for a community recreational center at the Kimball School Board meeting last Monday. Presenting, from left, are Aspyn Kiefer, Shannen Acheson, Daniel Hernandez, Hayden Sours and Julia Winstrom.
The Kimball High School senior civics class was assigned a project by teacher Jeri Ferguson to create a presentation about a community recreational center, an idea that has been discussed for years in the Kimball area.
This project was divided into different groups. Each group was responsible for researching a specific aspect of the recreation center, such as the programs offered, funding sources or potential locations. The students worked collaboratively to compile their findings and create a comprehensive presentation for the City Council.
The presentation is on how a recreation center in Kimball would help the community. The seniors worked diligently to ensure that all aspects of the proposal were thoroughly researched and thoughtfully presented.
They created a survey, which 371 community members responded to, in order to gather feedback and support for the project. The survey included different activities and how often community members would go to them. Out of the 371 people who responded, 96% were in favor of having a community center.
The community center has been an idea that has been discussed for years, and the seniors were determined to try and make it a reality. When asked on the survey if a recreational center would benefit the community's mental and physical health, 92% of the respondents said it would.
Funding for the project has always been a big question. The civics students learned of funding opportunities that are available. These different funding options that they learned about could be used to help build, run, and get equipment for the recreational center through grants and low interest loans. They talked to Jamie Bright, Extension educator-Rural Nebraska Prosperity, about many different grants.
They also contacted USDA community program specialist, Sarah Peirce about low interest loans. They tried to explore every possible avenue for funding.
In the survey, 77% of the respondents said they would pay a special tax to make this project a reality. "This project has provided these young people with first hand experience at real life situations," Ferguson said. "Some of them are interested in returning to Kimball after college and would love to see Kimball grow and provide a place to have something to do."