Mike Peterkin has driven past Hope Creek Academy in Durham, North Carolina, for years. He never knew what happened inside until he volunteered with Lowe’s to help build a sensory play space and a covered outdoor classroom for the school’s autistic and high-support students.
“I’ve lived in Durham a long time, and I’ve passed Hope Creek Academy more than a hundred times, but I didn’t know what it was,” said Peterkin, an Appliances Sales Specialist. “Once I learned about the school, I wanted to be here to help build this learning space. It’s important that the needs of the students are met, just like anyone else.”
Hope Creek Academy serves students who rely on movement, sensory regulation and experiential learning to succeed. The build created a dedicated outdoor environment designed to support those needs, including a sensory play area and a covered space that the school can use for instruction and gatherings.
Peterkin said he hopes the new area becomes a place where students can come together and feel connected. He also hopes it helps families better understand what their children need.
“Hopefully this space brings the students together, and is a place that they can all connect,” he said. “If this school does parent, teacher and student outings or conferences, I hope they can use this space, so the parents can better understand the needs of the students and children.”
The build helped launch Lowe’s call to action for Lowe’s Community Impact Grant nominations. This year, Lowe’s associates will help complete 100 large-scale renovation projects and more than 2,000 associate-selected projects helping tackle projects like building playgrounds and parks, renovating food pantries and revitalizing veterans’ services.
Lowe’s associates built the space as part of the company’s commitment to improve community spaces where families live, learn and gather. At Hope Creek Academy, that meant creating an outdoor learning environment designed for autistic and high-support students, with features that prioritize safety, predictability and reduced overstimulation.
