Flint Community Schools will celebrate the newly renovated playground at Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, October 15, at 1:45 p.m. The event will mark the final playground ribbon cutting in a districtwide initiative supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
The five playground renovations are part of a more than $7 million grant awarded to Flint Community Schools by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to transform outdoor spaces at Freeman Elementary School, Potter Elementary School, Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School, Eisenhower Elementary School and the Doyle-Ryder Community Education Center.
“We are incredibly excited to celebrate the completion of this final playground project at Durant-Tuuri-Mott,” said Superintendent Kevelin Jones. “This investment has given our scholars new spaces to play, explore, build friendships and enjoy their school communities. We are grateful to the Mott Foundation for its tremendous support and to everyone who helped bring these playgrounds to life.”
The playground renovations are part of the Mott Foundation’s broader commitment to improving outdoor spaces for children and families throughout Flint. As part of its centennial celebration, the Foundation announced a commitment of up to $20 million earlier this year to support improvements to playgrounds and parks across the city.
“It’s exciting to celebrate the completion of Durant-Tuuri-Mott’s playground. This event not only celebrates a really cool and innovative space for Flint kids, it also marks the completion of newly renovated playgrounds at every FCS elementary school,” said Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Mott Foundation. “Hundreds of students, FCS staff members and residents came together to plan and design these playgrounds, and now they serve as community hubs for kids and families to gather, play and spend time outdoors together. The Mott Foundation is pleased to be a part of the transformation.”
A defining feature of the FCS playground initiative has been the community engagement process that helped shape each playground. Flint Community Schools partnered with the Flint Center for Educational Excellence to gather input from scholars, educators, families and neighborhood residents through advisory committees, focus groups and surveys.
Participants evaluated existing playgrounds and shared their priorities for the renovated spaces. Their feedback helped identify features such as swings, tunnels, forts, expanded climbing opportunities, improved accessibility and enhanced safety features. This collaborative approach helped ensure each playground reflects the needs and character of its school community while creating opportunities for play, learning and connection.
“This new playground is a meaningful addition to the shared Durant-Tuuri-Mott and Educare Flint campus. It strengthens the connection between early childhood and elementary education—and between two communities of educators already working together on campus through the Flint Early Childhood Collaborative and the Network for School Excellence,” said Dr. Ja’Nel Jamerson, President and CEO of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence. “Through the Flint Center’s community education initiative, hundreds of youth, families, and residents helped bring this space to life. The result is a powerful example of what community co-design makes possible: places rooted in community, powered by people, and built for Flint’s future.”
The Durant-Tuuri-Mott playground is also intentionally located between Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School and the nationally recognized Educare Flint Early Childhood Learning Center on the same campus. This proximity reflects the importance of creating a connected educational environment for children and families, from early childhood through the elementary years.
The renovated outdoor space offers opportunities to support active play, exploration and social development. For young children, outdoor play can help build motor skills, encourage curiosity and support positive interactions with peers. The shared campus also creates an opportunity to strengthen the connection between early childhood education and the elementary school experience.
For the scholars who will enjoy the playground every day, the renovation represents more than new equipment. It provides a welcoming place to play, spend time with classmates and create lasting memories.
“My favorite part about the new playground is that it is safe. The playground is really nice, but I’m most excited about having a safe place to play and have fun,” said Jayden Walker, a fifth-grade scholar at Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School.
“The playground is important to me because the old one was broken, and now we have more swings to play on. I’m looking forward to having fun on the new swings and seeing more of our community come together,” said Connor Frost, a fifth-grade scholar at Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School.
The October 15 celebration will bring together FCS leaders, school staff, scholars, families, community partners and members of the media to recognize the completion of the five-playground initiative and the partnerships that made the projects possible.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
What: Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary Playground Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
When: Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 1:45 p.m.
Where: Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School, 1518 University Ave., Flint, MI
Parking: Additional parking is available in the front and rear parking lots at Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School, the Educare parking lot, and along the housing side of Cadillac Street.
Community members and members of the media are invited to attend the celebration, hear remarks from district and community leaders, participate in the ceremonial ribbon cutting and celebrate the new playground with the Durant-Tuuri-Mott school community.
Flint Community Schools extends its sincere appreciation to the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Flint Center for Educational Excellence, along with the scholars, families, educators and community members whose input helped shape these new spaces.
Press Release PDF link: https://aptg.co/hJJvT8