Ashford Park School Looks to Crowdfunding for New Outdoor Classroom

To build a new outdoor classroom where students can get dirty with experiments, gardening and other grubby fields of study, Ashford Park School is turning to a new Atlanta crowdfunding company.

The school's foundation hopes to raise $100,000 through Uruut – a new crowdfunding site somewhat similar to Kickstarter – that focuses on community projects. Uruut focuses on bringing together funding sources with nonprofits, municipalities and civic groups, and the Ashford Park School Education Foundation is the site's first project.

“We’re proud to be Uruut’s first project owner and excited to share our vision for an outdoor classroom and amphitheater with the community,” said Shawn Keefe, co-president of the school's foundation and parent of first- and fourth-graders, in a statement. “We currently have a deteriorating and hazardous outdoor structure, but we believe the outside of our school should match the vibrancy of the inside. This project is core to APS’ curriculum, our students and the vitality of our community, and Uruut is perfect for helping make our dream a reality.”

The school's proposed classroom will also double as an amphitheater to showcase student theatrical productions, lectures and community-wide events. Click here to view the foundation’s project page on Uruut. As of Wednesday night, the foundation had already raised nearly $3,000.

"Ten years ago, I began contemplating how our country could revitalize underfunded communities by giving critical projects a chance at success,” said Mark Feinberg, Uruut’s co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “Along the way, Uruut was born and our talented team developed an extraordinary tool that achieves this vital need. Today, I’m proud to give the public a chance to experience Uruut and contribute to our first project owner, Ashford Park School Education Foundation."

Community and civic organizations interested in receiving funding through Uruut’s platform can click here to apply for public beta consideration.