Streetsblog Op-Ed: When Schools Meet Streets, Good Things Happen
Good things happen — and children flourish — when school activities expand out of doors, a City Council candidate argues.
By Justin Krebs
A school crossing on W. 151st St. blocked on both sides by police cars.
My three elementary-school daughters now have two recesses a day — and often eat lunch outdoors. This spring, all kids in their school began having a weekly gardening class. At drop-off and pick-up, a barrier blocks cars from coming down the road adjacent to the school so that parents and caregivers can spill into the street.
These innovations — some coming just in the past month — have happened because of the pandemic. The kids eat outside because there isn’t enough space inside. They have gardening because the rooms inside used for special subjects were turned into classrooms. In short, the demands for distancing have pushed P.S. 39 and schools across the city to think creatively about using outdoor space for school activities, including turning streets into extensions of the schools — even if it means prioritizing schooling over parking.
When schools meet streets, children flourish.