Helping Johnny Walk to School Project
The Helping Johnny Walk to School: Sustaining Communities through Smart School Policy program helps states encourage the siting of schools to achieve their educational, public health, and sustainability objectives. A community-centered school helps anchor the surrounding neighborhood, is centrally-located to a majority of students, and uses existing infrastructure whenever possible.
SECOND ROUND OF GRANTS AVAILABLE! Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Trust is offering sub-grants of $6,000 and a year of technical assistance to nonprofits and their coalitions in up to 3 states to encourage community-centered schools by analyzing their state's policies and practices and making recommendations. Proposals are due September 16, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. eastern. If you have questions about the form or the application process, e-mail policy@nthp.org or call 202-588-6234. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions will be posted here as they are received.
In 2008, the National Trust awarded grants to the following:
- California: Local Government Commission, $6,000, the official representative of California's Ad Hoc School Siting Coalition that includes the Center for Cities and Schools and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, to provide recommendations to the California Department of Education related to revisions of state-level school siting policy guiding documents;
- Illinois: Healthy Schools Campaign, $6,000, to develop model state-level policies which encourage sustainable schools throughout Illinois with Governor Pat Quinn's Office and Landmarks Illinois;
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, $6,000, to enhance school building aid and siting policies;
- Oregon: Innovation Partnership, $6,000, to educate the Oregon public and decision-makers about the many benefits of coordinated planning between school districts and local governments;
- Pennsylvania: Preservation Pennsylvania, $6,000, to determine how state-level fiscal policy affects school siting decisions across Pennsylvania; and
- South Carolina: South Carolina Arts Foundation, $6,000, to develop model policies that eliminate design barriers and encourage collaboration among governmental entities for educational facility planning.
"Community-centered schools have a vital role to play in this country – not only do they help us reach our educational goals, but they also help ensure a healthier community." said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "When older neighborhood schools are abandoned, it's a waste of our nation's physical resources and shared history. We need to step back and figure out how we can make better use of limited resources to achieve both our educational and community goals."
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has been actively involved raising awareness about the important link between community vitality and walkable neighborhood schools, along with threat to their existence. In 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation published Why Johnny Can't Walk to School in the Age of Sprawl, listed the threat to neighborhood schools on the list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and developed educational resources for community leaders.
The Helping Johnny Walk to School program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and with generous support from the Building Educational Success Together collaborative.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a partner in the Smart Growth Network, a collaborative of nonprofit and governmental organizations working to encourage development that serves the economy, community, and the enviroment.
