The Dayton Foundation, in partnership with the City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, has received a $426,000 grant to enhance access and educational experiences for individuals with disabilities at Kettering’s Pondview Park. The Access to Recreation Initiative grant was awarded by the Midwest Community Foundations Ventures (MCFV), thanks to funds provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

“The awarding of this grant is exciting on many levels,” said Michael M. Parks, president of The Dayton Foundation. “First, it makes it possible to offer new recreational opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the region. Second, it shows what partnerships between organizations can make possible. Third, this is $426,000 of new money flowing into our community to improve the quality of life for a significant part of our population. This makes for a very exciting announcement, and we’re very grateful to MCFV and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.”

“So much of what we do in the City of Kettering is done with the purpose of providing quality-of-life opportunities,” said City of Kettering Mayor Don Patterson. “We are particularly pleased that this funding benefits not only our residents, but anyone who wants to utilize this unique educational experience. We look forward to these enhancements at Pondview Park that will create greater access to environmental learning.”

The Dayton Foundation grant is the largest of four grants presented to community foundations in Ohio. A total of $4.5 million was awarded to fourteen community foundations throughout Indiana, Illinois and Ohio.

The City of Kettering is providing an additional $334,000 in matching funds towards the new Pondview Park Environmental Learning Center. The center will encourage families, schools and those with disabilities to learn about and restore nature where they live.

Individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, their families and local human service agencies that serve them have provided valuable insight and recommendations that will be incorporated into a plan for remodeling, restoring and enhancing existing park structures, as well as for incorporating new programs. Accessibility features and learning experiences will be created to meet or exceed all Americans with Disability Act requirements.

The Pondview Park Environmental Learning Center will provide an all-abilities accessible trail system consisting of six learning pods, scenic overlooks and observation points. All materials will be environmentally friendly, and, where applicable, surfaces will be laid on trails to allow fauna and flora to grow, while providing a comfortable and safe surface for individuals using wheelchairs, walkers, canes and strollers. Interpretive panels, experiential stations, tactile displays, universal signage and auditory devices will be included, as well as handicap-accessible parking, water fountains and restroom facilities. A forest-growth learning site, prairie restoration programs and a butterfly garden also will enhance the outdoor learning experience.

Construction of the site is scheduled to begin in March 2008. Project completion is anticipated by March 2009, with the first parking lot completed by the grand opening of the universally accessible Environmental Learning Center in May of 2009.

The Dayton Foundation and the City of Kettering convened a 13-member Ohio Access to Recreation Advisory Board to oversee the project’s planning and design. Members of the Advisory Board include representatives from Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm; City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department; Community Services for the Deaf; The Dayton Foundation; The Disability Foundation; Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley; Gorman-Hewitt-Ayars Memorial Fund of United Rehabilitation Services of Greater Dayton; Kettering Parks Foundation; Charles I. Lathrem Seniors Group; Montgomery County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities; and United Rehabilitation Services of Greater Dayton.

The Dayton Foundation also will act as fiscal agent. The Advisory Committee has established The Ohio Access to Recreation Fund, a permanent endowment through The Dayton Foundation, to provide continued funding for park improvements, as well as for programs and services to enhance recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.