Our inaugural School Play Yard Initiative was a success this past year: 16 schools statewide received GOCO grants that are benefiting more than 6,000 children. Clearly, a need exists to help schools in Colorado build outdoor recreation and learning amenities.

Because of this, we're offering a second round of School Play Yard grants in 2014. GOCO's board has allocated $659,000 for the program, designed to help improve the health and wellness of Colorado youth and families by creating or improving playgrounds and outdoor classrooms that encourage more outdoor physical activity and learning.

Are you considering applying for a School Play Yard grant? To help you make your application as competitive as possible, we're hosting FREE Q&A sessions via teleconference on November 6 at 9am and 1:30pm and on November 7 at 9am and 1:30pm. This is your opportunity to get one-on-one assistance from our staff regarding your application. We encourage you to review the 2014 School Play Yard Initiative application and program requirements prior to participating in a Q&A session so that you are prepared with questions. You can view those documents here.

Each session should last roughly an hour depending on the number of participants.

Additional dates of note:
•    School Play Yard applications are due by 5pm on January 17, 2014.
•    Grant awards will be decided by the GOCO Board in  April 2014 (meeting date TBD).

Contact Luke Bolinger with any questions about the School Play Yard Initiative.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN A FREE Q & A SESSION
Step 1: Select the date & time that's best for you.
Step 2: RSVP to Luke Bolinger and indicate the session of your choice.
Step 3: Read through the application and program requirements prior to your session.
Step 4: Dial 1-888-557-8511 a few minutes before your selected session is scheduled to begin; enter PIN number 4557805 when prompted.
Step 5: Ask your questions!