Steps to Improvement By Alika Gillard Steps At Stevens is a community lead project, aiming to improve the entrance of West Seattle

High School. Coordinators Janet Jones, Lee McMaster, and Jennifer Broadstone aim improve the safety and direction of walking traffic through the parking lot, and make it easier for students to walk to school. The concept plan includes constructing steps at the Stevens-California intersection in front of the school, ascending to the parking lot. The fence separating the student parking lot and the staff parking lot will be replaced with a sidewalk, leading to the main entrance of the school. The project is well on its way, and Jones estimates the construction will be finished in June of 2015. The committee will hire a landscape architect to work with our school community to create the final design for the steps. Two phases make up the project process: Planning and design, and construction. McMaster has worked on several site-planning projects in the Seattle area, similar to Steps At Stevens, at Highline, Renton, and Olympia public schools. Steps at Stevens is the first project McMaster has planned in the West Seattle community. The Steps At Stevens Coordinators face many challenges before drafting a final plan for the project. The plan must undergo a historical review in the designing process, and garner support from the school and community. Student organizations are encouraged to help endorse the project in the community, and help fundraise if possible. Were doing it for you, McMaster adds, addressing the students, Leave something to the school, encouraging student involvement and fundraising. What would make the high school pop? questions McMaster. Vice Principal Mr. Kelly hopes that the project will draw attention and visually improve the entrance, accentuating the school on California Avenue. The planning team is open to ideas from students. Any students who are interested in the project can contact the Earth Service Corps, and are welcome to attend after school meetings, where there will be an opportunity to share student ideas. The next meetings will be Thursday, February 6, and Monday, March 6, from 2:45-3:45pm at St. Johns church (South of student parking lot). A website for Steps At Stevens will be active by March at wshsstepsatstevens.org, and McMaster speculates a plan will be sketched by May. Patience and Perseverance, Jones exclaims, and one step at a time!