It Was Love at First Slide
Reflections from an Eat. Learn. Play. Volunteer
Eat. Learn. Play. remodels public elementary schoolyards across Oakland into dream places for kids to play, learn, and spend time together. Shauna Harrison, a writer and fitness and yoga instructor with an MPH and PhD in Public Health, a former K-8 Spanish teacher, and a longtime Eat. Learn. Play. volunteer, shares her reflections on being part of our schoolyard builds.
By Shauna Harrison
It was love at first slide. Truly.
From the moment Stephen and Ayesha Curry announced they were launching Eat. Learn. Play., I knew I wanted to be involved. Access to nutritious food, education, and physical activity have been at the root of everything I have done for decades. And, of course, I live in (and love on!) Oakland. Eat. Learn. Play. is the organization I would have loved to create, if I had been in a position to do so. I just knew I was made to be part of this organization, and I was determined to make that happen. When the day came that I received an email asking if I wanted to volunteer at a schoolyard build, the “Yes!” flew off my fingertips within nine minutes of the opportunity landing in my inbox. I. Was. Ready. To build a new schoolyard, no less? Absolutely yes.
The following month, I showed up to my first build at Hoover Elementary. I didn’t know what to expect; all I knew was that I was ready to contribute to something bigger. It turned out to be everything I had hoped for and so much more. Eat. Learn. Play., alongside their partners at the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and KABOOM!, created one of the most organized events I had ever attended. They made everyone feel like part of the team, and they reminded us that whatever skills or talents we showed up with were all we needed. And they were right!
I was assigned to a group installing the slide. Think IKEA furniture, but more complex. No pressure, though, the slide is only the king of the playground! The tools, parts, and instructions were all clearly laid out, and we jumped right in. With a few initial mess-ups fixed by our friendly purple-clad KABOOM! crew, we finished the slide and the rest of the play structure and were sent off to help other teams. I ended up doing a bit of everything: cement, mulch, planter boxes, and any other odds and ends tossed my way. But every time I passed the hopscotch station, I had to stop and stare with admiration. I have loved hopscotch since I was a kid, but in this version each box was filled with a word of affirmation. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. I took so many pictures that day because it tugged at my heart and hugged my inner child. It was one of the most joyful days I had experienced in a while.
Guess who got to work on ground art at the next build? Yes! I am not an artist by any means; it would be a stretch to even say I’m remotely crafty. But I have learned how to make a mean hopscotch! At this point, we have made so many versions of affirmation hopscotch in both English and Spanish, putting my Spanish degree and teaching experience to good use, and they are my absolute favorite part of the playground. I have since become the Ground Games Girl, and I am often the team lead anytime ground games and art are part of a build. Hot Lava, peace paths, and mazes are now part of the repertoire too. The transformation from bare, uninviting concrete into something bright, fun, and engaging is always so rewarding.
I also learned that build days don’t just bring joy to the kids; the adult volunteers get to play and learn as well. Picking up new tools, learning new skills, testing out hopscotches, playing in the dirt, painting, and meeting new people are what make these days so fun. We adults could all use a little more play in our lives.
After three years of volunteering on more than 20 builds plus many Eat. Learn. Play. Bus community activations, Eat. Learn. Play. has become like family. Hugs, high fives, catch-ups, and smiles abound at every event, with so many familiar faces alongside new ones; it’s like a reunion each time. No matter what I might be going through, being surrounded by people who want to make school and learning better for the kids in Oakland, and make movement more accessible, fun, and safe, always fills my heart. And there is nothing quite like seeing kids’ faces as their new schoolyard comes to life, knowing the effort you put in that day will live on for years and for kids who aren’t even at that school yet.
The reward is unmatched, and the impact Eat. Learn. Play. is making cannot be understated. Play is essential to physical health, emotional health, and academic performance, and making sure schools have safe, fun places to play will support students for years to come. Getting to play even a small role in that is humbling. Being part of this incredibly important mission has meant more to me than I could have imagined. They had me at hello, and they haven’t been able to get rid of me since!