Overview:
Koror Elementary School students are enjoying a safer place to play following the opening of a new playground made possible through collaboration between the Palau Rotary Club, the U.S. Civic Action Team and local and international partners.
By: Summer Kennard
KOROR, Palau (Jan. 21, 2026) — A new playground opened last week at Koror Elementary School, giving students a safer and more durable place to play after years of wear and tear rendered the previous structure unsafe.
The project was made possible through a collaboration between the Palau Rotary Club, the U.S. Civic Action Team (CAT) in Palau, and several local and international partners, culminating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday attended by students, educators and community members.
Palau Rotary Club President Greg Gordon said Rotary had long supported playground projects across Palau, but many struggled to withstand the country’s humid, rain-heavy climate and lacked long-term maintenance.
“We’ve done a lot of playground projects, but the reality is they just didn’t last very long here,” Gordon said. “So a lot of money was spent, and we didn’t always see the long-term benefit.”
Seeking a more sustainable solution, Rotary worked with the Civic Action Team to connect with Kids Around the World, a U.S.-based nonprofit that refurbishes used playground equipment and redistributes it globally at low cost. The equipment, Gordon said, is restored to near-new condition using materials better suited for longevity.
“These are refurbished playgrounds, not brand new,” he said. “But they’re rebuilt to look and function like new, and they’re made to last.”
OIC Jon Furlong of the Civic Action Team said the decision to replace the former wooden playground with a pre-fabricated structure made of plastic and metal was driven by safety concerns observed during a pre-deployment site visit in May 2024.
“When we saw how unsafe the old playground had become, we knew the right thing to do was to tear it down and build a new one,” Furlong said. “Having safe areas to play and exercise is so important for kids.”
Furlong added that the team hopes the playground will serve not only students but the broader Koror community for years to come.
Koror Elementary School Principal Mayleen Ngiriou said students had been eagerly awaiting the playground’s opening since the start of the school year, and that anticipation became an opportunity to reinforce positive behavior.
“I kept reminding them that the playground was coming, and that we had to share, cooperate and show good behavior,” Ngiriou said. “It became part of character building — teamwork, helping each other and respecting rules.”
She said those lessons extend beyond recess and into classroom learning, particularly during group work and individual development.
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, students rushed onto the playground, filling the space with laughter and excitement as they explored the new equipment.
The Civic Action Team thanked the Palau Rotary Club, Kids Around the World, Matson Inc., and Surangel’s and Sons Construction for their contributions to the project. Furlong also recognized Staff Sgt. Maleik Cokley and Sgt. Mason Fowler for leading construction efforts and mentoring apprentices throughout the build.