UWT, kids build community at McCarver Park

UW Tacoma students will soon see the results of their collaboration with McCarver elementary students at McCarver park's upcoming groundbreaking. The project is part of the Zina Linnik Project, a campaign to renovate parts of McCarver and Wright Parks in memory of a 12-year-old Tacoma girl who was killed. Students from UW Seattle helped design the park last year, incorporating the kids' ideas into the final plans. UWT students from Civitas and three professors' classes have been working with the project since fall quarter, helping the elementary schoolers make plans and teaching them about good citizenship. "It's fabulous. We learn things from doing it," Professor Linda Ishem, whose classes have been involved, said. McCarver students not only contributed ideas for the design of the park, they've been involved at every stage of planning and wrote letters to state legislators thanking them for funding. While dignitaries will be attending the June 9 groundbreaking, it's the students who will do the talking. "They wanted it to be student oriented because they're the ones that designed the park, and it's for them," Ishem said. Three McCarver students and one UWT student will be speaking at the event, which will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 2301 South J Street.