Those who pass by Children’s Playhouse at 2501 S. Marshall St. in South Philly’s Whitman neighborhood will be able to catch a small glimpse of what the early learning center provides to the community.
Thanks to a $50,000 grant secured by state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, those inspirational values will be highlighted on the exterior walls of the building. It’s part of an effort to make the outside of the center look just as good as the inside.
“Revitalizing the interior and exterior of Children’s Playhouse on Marshall Street is a project that can bring a sign of hope back into the community reminding people that we have a place that is still welcoming and still safe, no matter what,” said Children’s Playhouse owner Damaris Alvarado-Rodriguez. “These enhancements to the school demonstrate that early childhood is always important.”
Alvarado-Rodriguez is the owner of three Children’s Playhouse centers in the city. In addition to the Whitman location, she owns the other South Philly location at 1426 W. Passyunk Ave. as well as the newest location at 3169 N. 5th St. in Fairhill.
“Children’s Playhouse takes care of our youngest, providing them a stable place to learn and grow,” said Fiedler. “From working to address food insecurity in their kids to advocating for early childhood education in Harrisburg, their team has gone above and beyond to support South Philly families. I’m so proud I could help them secure this much-deserved funding.”
Fiedler presented the check on March 20. It will provide improvements to the entranceway and hallways of Children’s Playhouse. It will also allow the center to hire Mural Miles to work with artists and paint murals of inspiration on the side of the building and behind it, all in view to passersby. Mural Miles is a nonprofit running and art curation group that aims to inspire human potential through community fitness and art. It offers free monthly group runs that serve as art education experiences, providing opportunities for runners to participate in creative volunteering projects and partners with brands and organizations to fund and create new pieces of public art.
“We are proud to have this opportunity to help the Children’s Playhouse realize its vision of helping every child discover their own limitless potential,” said Craig Oppenheimer, a South Philly resident and founder of Mural Miles.
The improvements to Children’s Playhouse are in addition to ongoing projects there, which include a new bench, free lending library box and the installation of a bike rack. The library includes both English and Spanish language books.
“We want our neighbors to feel welcomed and have a place for respite,” Alvarado-Rodriguez said.
Alvarado-Rodriguez said she wants children to see representation of themselves in the projected murals and looks forward to providing a place to sit and learn with children.
“I’m envisioning families we serve in the community reading a book together on the bench, having a safe parking spot for their bikes,” she said. “I feel like this is bringing back something positive. After all, this is why educators become educators. I hope it’s a model for other childcare programs that are struggling with staffing with so many challenges – mental health and children.”
It’s one step closer to reality thanks to some state funding.
“Rep. Fiedler is one of the biggest supporters of our schools, and she understands the importance of high-quality programs here and throughout the city,” Alvarado-Rodriguez said.
