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A Wall of Possibilities: Wickliffe Progressive’s Peg Wall Brings Learning and Community Together
Updated: 22 minutes ago
October 2026 | Wickliffe Progressive Elementary
A little imagination, collaboration, and a lot of pool noodles came together to create a one-of-a-kind initiative at Wickliffe Progressive Elementary!
Thanks to a grant from the Upper Arlington Education Foundation (UA+Ed), Wickliffe’s new Peg Wall is transforming a central space in the school library into an interactive hub for problem-solving, exploration, and community connection. Open to all Wickliffe students and staff members, the wall offers endless possibilities for learning, collaboration, and fun.
From an Idea to a Community Project
The idea began in spring 2026, when 4th grade teacher, Ted Hamilton, discovered a colorful 48-foot “pool noodle pixel wall” at the Westchester Children’s Museum. Ted wondered if Wickliffe could create something similar for its own students.
He brought the idea to Library Media Specialist Katie Coplin, who envisioned the wall as a perfect addition to the library. Together, they developed plans and with the green light in late June, construction began July 3.
Over the next two months, Ted, Katie, and Katie’s husband (and Engineer), Scott Coplin, brought the vision to life. The process involved multiple design iterations, trial and error, and plenty of new skills along the way. The result is an 8x12-foot wall featuring 1,264 pegs, ready to become a canvas for student and staff ideas.
This project was truly a community effort. More than 20 students from Hastings Middle School and UAHS helped with various stages of construction, from sanding and painting pegs to hammering and building frames. Wickliffe staff members and other Upper Arlington community members also pitched in, while 4th and 5th grade students helped install the pegs.
The project brought together students of different ages, educators, and community members around a shared goal: creating something meaningful for Wickliffe.
Learning Through Creativity and Collaboration
Located in the library, the Peg Wall is much more than an art installation. It is an open-ended learning space where students can plan, design, experiment, and build using colorful pool noodle slices.
Students can explore patterns, shapes, area, and perimeter while strengthening fine motor skills and spatial awareness. They can practice spelling and literacy by arranging letters and words, or work together to bring an imaginative design to life. Some students have even suggested turning the wall into a giant Plinko board! Just as importantly, the wall gives students and staff a place to pause, recharge, and create simply for the joy of it.
The Peg Wall supports every area of Wickliffe’s Profile of an Engaged Learner. Students become solution seekers as they plan designs and solve challenges, creative thinkers as they explore patterns and possibilities, and skilled communicators as they share ideas and collaborate. Listening to different perspectives encourages them to be open-minded and empathetic, while using the wall safely and working through challenges builds responsibility and resilience. And through the joy of hands-on discovery, students practice making well-balanced choices while having fun.
The Peg Wall’s introduction to Wickliffe students included ribbon-cutting celebrations in early October, giving the school community a chance to mark the arrival of this exciting new resource and begin exploring it.
Katie Coplin explained how students immediately took to the Wall:
We had ideas on how the students would use the pool noodle pieces to make pictures and designs. But within 10 minutes of the wall opening, the students had found their own way to use it. They wanted to make a shape with a curve, and given the way the pegs are on the wall, this is difficult. So the students figured out how to place the pool noodle pieces between the pegs to make their desired shape. This creativity and flexible thinking is such a beautiful example of our students here at Wickliffe Progressive.
UA+Ed Impact Moment at October Board Meeting
During its October on-site meeting at Wickliffe, the UA+Ed Board of Trustees experienced the project firsthand. Each UA+Ed board meeting begins with an Impact Moment, an opportunity to learn about the meaningful difference a recent grant is making in Upper Arlington Schools.
Katie Coplin shared the story behind the Peg Wall, from its original inspiration to the collaborative construction process. She then got board members up, moving, and engaging with the wall themselves. Rather than simply hearing about the grant’s impact, trustees had the opportunity to experience the possibilities it offers.
It was a fitting demonstration of what UA+Ed grants make possible: ideas that bring people together and create meaningful experiences for students and staff.
Endless Possibilities Ahead
As students and staff continue to explore the wall, they will undoubtedly discover new ways to create, learn, and work together. What starts as a colorful arrangement of pool noodle slices may become a collaborative work of art, a math challenge, a literacy activity, or an entirely new invention. The Peg Wall is a reminder that meaningful learning can happen through play, that students thrive when they share ideas, and that a single idea can bring an entire community together.
Through UA+Ed’s support, Wickliffe has gained more than a wall. It has gained a space where imagination takes shape, collaboration comes to life, and the next great idea is always just a peg away.
One of UA+Ed’s values is Supporting Innovation and Leaders; Fueling ideas and creativity in the classroom and beyond. UA+Ed is proud to support educators who turn ideas into meaningful opportunities for students and staff across Upper Arlington Schools.
