BROOKLYN (PIX11) -- A long-awaited playground makeover is providing kids at P.S. 197 Kings Highway Academy in Midwood, Brooklyn, with a safe new place to play, and the entire community with a fresh, green space to enjoy.

Fifth-grader Erica Stern was among the students who helped shape the playground’s design, a project that turned a worn asphalt lot into a vibrant schoolyard.

Erica remembers the old playground clearly.

"Before it was red and yellow, really worn. You could see a lot of the metal showing through the paint, and there wasn't really that much stuff," she said.

Chosen in third grade (2024) for the student design team, Erica and her classmates were invited to share ideas to make the space welcoming for the entire community.

"They chose some of the smartest people so that we

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