By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Maplesville High School teachers are hoping to spruce up a section of the school grounds with a place for students to enjoy snack time and talk with friends.

The group is trying to raise $4,141 through “Picnic With Our Peers” on DonorsChoose.org, a website where teachers can collect donations for specific projects.

The school has until July 27 to reach their goal. Otherwise the project will expire on the site, and donors will be refunded.

The hope is to purchase four aluminum picnic tables in vibrant colors and two outdoor quality trash cans.

“When we go outside in the afternoons, we would love to have a little courtyard area for our students maybe with picnic tables and trash receptacles,” MHS teacher Brittany Yeargan said.

Ideas for such a space began after the school was able to upgrade its playground equipment.

The proposed location for the tables is a vacant area students pass on their way from their classroom to the playground.

Right now, there are only two benches where students can eat their snack.

“It’s time for a new look back there,” Yeargan said.

While younger grades would use the space during snack time, the older students would also be able to use the space during class breaks.

She said this will give them pride of ownership while helping them develop leadership skills.

“It will also give the students the opportunity to … take pride in the campus,” Yeargan said. “We are planning on having different groups of them that are responsible for seeing that the trash is emptied.”

Yeargan said she would like to be able to have the project funded and the equipment in place at the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

“People don’t realize the excitement that the kids have when they see a new box arrive at our door that contains something we got from DonorsChoose,” Yeargan said.

She set up the donation page because of her past success with having projects funded. She has had 10 projects successfully funded through the DonorsChoose website and has reached the point where the site will allow her to create projects for larger amounts of money.

Before the website will let a teacher set up a project for this large an amount of money, the teacher has to establish a good track record of thanking donors and posting pictures of the items when they are received.

“It is holding you accountable to ensure that you are purchasing the items that you requested,” Yeargan said.

Yeargan said she is extremely grateful to Donorschoose.org and all the previous donors who have made improvements to her classroom possible.