Head Start’s playground on Santa Barbara’s Westside was transformed into an outdoor classroom where kids run and prance on turf, slide down a hill and laugh under the sun.

The new area showcases the science, technology, engineering, arts and math subjects into daily play. It was made possible by K-Lite 101.7, which holds a radiothon every year to raise money for nonprofit organizations that serve children and families.

“The children are able to be more social with each other, they learn science and math, they are able to build more,” said Martha Haro, site supervisor. “I love seeing them smile. They might go home and to an apartment where they can’t go out and play, so knowing that this is their place that they can run around, have fun, enjoy and just seeing what gives them joy.”

The kids play for about three hours a day outside in the play area.

K-Lite radio station listeners in 2024 raised $10,000 to rebuild the outdoor classroom at Head Start, a pre-school program for children between 0-5 years. The Santa Barbara location is at 629 Coronel Place on the Westside.

The program is run by CommUnify. The groups held a gathering on Friday to showcase the new play area. K-Lite morning host Catherine Remak, afternoon host Scott Topper and the late morning DJ Gary Fruin helped raise money for the kids on Valentine’s Day 2024.

As part of the transformation, Head Start removed the playground structure and added a hill and playing area covered in turf. The kids slide down on their own, or straight onto a slide that takes them to the bottom of the hill.

The new outdoor area is full of slides, water tables, tented areas, books, toys and endless joy.

On Friday children ran in circles, cut toy vegetables for a pretend lunch, splashed in the water tables, dressed dolls, put babies to sleep, and listened as adults read them books.

Head Start serves qualified low-income children between the ages of 0 and 5 years old. The program focuses on the whole child’s development in academic, social, emotional and physical growth, combined with a safe, caring environment created by skilled teachers, officials said.

The services are particularly important right now amid deportation actions by the federal government, which create uncertainty and fear among some low-income families.

Headstart began in 1967 in Santa Barbara. The program has 19 different sites from Carpinteria to Cuyama and serves about 600 kids.

“The Head Start program provides quality early education to children,” said Patricia Keelean, CEO of CommUnify. She said Head Start collects data that shows there is a 13% return on investment on quality early childcare.

“It not only helps the children, but also helps the parents to work, and that allows us to have a vibrant economic community,” Keelean said. “These kids are off to a great start.”

She said people don’t realize that Head Start offers health and wellness checks, the kids get nutritious foods throughout the day, family support and access to wrap-around services.

“It’s not babysitting,” Keelean said. “These teachers are so dedicated, they have so many certifications, rigorous training. The kids are all the better for it.”

One out of five children in Santa Barbara County lives below the poverty rate, according to the California Department of Health Services.

Remak said during the Valentine’s Day telethon people called in and made song dedications and then were able to make financial contributions.

“We had donations as much as $1,000, we had donations as little as $5,” Remak said. “It was just a beautiful day on the air, all about love.”

Warren Ritter, a Westside resident, attended the event to support the outdoor playground.

“It’s amazing,” said Ritter, who is also a field representative for First District Supervisor Roy Lee. “Not only does this help the families with the childcare, but for these children to be able to come out to play in a safe environment where they could have a lot of learning, hands-on tactile learning, with instructors teaching them positive stuff. I am happy to see it. “

Cristian Mejia, a mom, said she was grateful to the donors who helped create the space. On Friday she spent the morning reading books to kids, including her 3-year-old daughter. She said she helps out some days.

“It’s very beautiful,” Mejia said in Spanish. “There’s more freedom to play. There’s many things to paint with.”