Wayne Township Education Foundation
News Details
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August 2025
Rachel Lamb saw a need for her young learners. She saw a possible solution in plastic bottle caps and lids.
The need: an outdoor learning area, which would help her Wayne Township Preschool students grow in new and exciting ways.
“An accessible and engaging outdoor learning area would provide new opportunities that support each child’s success,” said Ms. Lamb. “It would provide a space for all students to create imaginative play, work on gross motor skills learning with others, and incorporate outdoor resources within their play.”
Ms. Lamb became aware of an opportunity to involve the community in creating this new playground with the help of two companies, Phoenix Closures in Greencastle and GreenTree Plastics in Evansville. Phoenix Closures donated hundreds of pounds of plastic caps to the project. Those caps, along with others collected by project volunteers, will be exchanged for equipment and other products manufactured, at a reduced price, by GreenTree Plastics.
“This company will be providing the plastic tables, benches, and lumber we are using within the outdoor learning spaces,” said Ms. Lamb. “These products are 100 percent recycled, with non-hazardous chemicals, non-organic fillers, and non-organic color concentrates.”
Wayne Township Preschool community members, along with volunteers from the Wayne Township Education Foundation board, have jumped in to collect thousands of plastic bottle caps and lids for the project. And the Wayne Township Education Foundation has provided a grant to help purchase the playground equipment. Enough plastic bottle caps and lids have been collected to be exchanged for the resources on Ms. Lamb’s wish list. Soon, those caps and lids will be transported to Evansville, where the new equipment will be picked up.
Ms. Lamb is looking forward to seeing the impact of this new playground.
“The outdoor space will give us the opportunity to provide all our teachers and students the appropriate resources needed to pair with learning in their own classrooms,” she said. “By providing a wide variety of natural resources and spaces, we will have more opportunities to make learning relatable and attainable for each individual student in our classes.”
Ms. Lamb hopes to go to GreenTree Plastics during fall break to pick up the equipment and other items for the learning area. It’s hoped that by spring break (2026), the learning area equipment will be in place for Wayne Township Preschool students to enjoy.
Read WRTV story here.
ABOUT THE WAYNE TOWNSHIP EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Wayne Township Education Foundation (WTEF) provides community leadership to enrich, engage, and stimulate teaching and learning in the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township. WTEF accomplishes this by supporting school programs and resources, while recognizing excellence among students and staff. To learn more about WTEF and/or establish a named, designated fund, call 317-988-7966, visit wtef.wayne.k12.in.us, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @WayneTwpEdFound.