Helping Johnny Walk to School Project
The Helping Johnny Walk to School: Sustaining Communities through Smart School Siting Policies project seeks to help states develop policy and practices that helps them achieve their educational objectives while also helping localities reach their community development goals. The National Trust granted $36,000 and will provide technical assistance to the following organizations selected through an RFP process:
- 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 Lt. 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 with the South Carolina Design Arts Partnership, $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 Jessie Ball duPont Fund.
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.
