Have you ever wanted to play disc golf in your own backyard? At Skagit Adventist Academy, students will soon have that option on their campus.
Project Design and Implementation is an elective class at SAA that is creating a disc golf course for the students to enjoy at its Burlington, Washington, campus.
In this new class, students are learning what it takes to begin with an idea and see it through to completion. Along the way, they are learning many new skills and applying them to overcome real world challenges.
Most schools have the option of a soccer field, basketball court or a playground as outdoor activities for their students.
Liliana Baerg, SAA sophomore, shared, “These activities are fun, but there is a certain point in time when there should be more options because it can get boring.”
Other students agree and want to have more activity options at SAA.
When Monte Saxby, SAA teacher, was considering projects for this semester’s PDI class, he envisioned adding a disc golf course in the wooded area behind the high school classrooms.
The wooded area on campus had many diseased trees that had to be removed for the safety of the students. The process of thinning out trees left empty spaces in the woods that provided an excellent opportunity for a new use of the area.
This is where Saxby suggested adding the disc golf course. Students would have something to work on in the class while also giving the entire student body another activity option at recess.
The PDI class has been hard at work putting this project together. The class wanted to get a feel for the sport, so they threw some discs around and watched some videos on how to play. Next, they began designing and mapping out a course on campus. Afterwards, they started researching the items they would need, which included tees, baskets, artificial turf and discs.
Compiling all this information, students reached out to sponsors by producing a YouTube video that they shared with everyone they knew, as well as posting it on the school's Facebook page. The video was a great success, helping the PDI class raise enough money to buy all the supplies.
Currently, the class is clearing the area and installing the necessary components for the disc golf course. They began by weeding the area and clearing out the debris.
As the year is progressing, there are still some bigger jobs for the class to complete, but for the most part, they are on track to finish before the course ends in January 2023. The class is excited to complete the project and cannot wait to see students enjoying their course.
If you or someone you know is interested in this project or wants to learn more about what we are doing, check out our website or email us at timberwolvesdiscpark@skagitadventist.com.
