Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release #17-044
Friday, June 23rd, 2017
Contact: Scott Gastel/Gloria Chin (DOT), 212-839-4850
NYC DOT Announces Sixth Annual “We’re Walking Here” NYC School Winners
As part of Vision Zero, Safety curricula for students in grades K-12 encourage walking and active lifestyle choices
The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced the winners of this year’s “We’re Walking Here” competition, in which schools compete to develop creative public-service announcements (PSAs) that encourage safe and active lifestyle choices, including walking. The competition builds on the City’s Vision Zero efforts, which aim to educate New Yorkers about our shared responsibility in street safety.
As part of the “We’re Walking Here” efforts, students track the number of blocks they walked over a two-week period and then engage in classroom activities to learn more. The final project is a public-service announcement meant to convey messages the students learned through the curriculum. These year’s winners include:
*First Place, Video Category: J.H.S. 8 in Queens*Second Place, Video Category: Tottenville H.S. in Staten Island
*Third Place, Video Category: J.H.S. 74 in Queens
*First Place, Poster Category, St. Christopher in Staten Island
*Second Place, Poster Category, P.S. 306 in Queens
*Third Place, Poster Category, P.S. 69 in Bronx
“I was impressed by the creativity of this year’s We’re Walking Here winners, who used their creativity to share critical Vision Zero-related safety messages,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “The last three years of Vision Zero have seen record-low traffic fatalities, we are proud to report among school-age children, and it is clear that the safety awareness of students is playing a big role. We are grateful to our partners, 100 different schools whose participation proved that it is never too early to begin street safety education. We encourage more students to get involved - inside and outside of the classroom – and encourage all of them to join us this summer for other great DOT events, such as Summer Streets or Weekend Walks in their own communities.”
The competition, open to all New York City Schools, launched last October in conjunction with International Walk-to-School Day. Those that participate download lesson plans and grade-specific curricula developed by DOT’s Safety Education and Outreach division. The first place winners for this year’s competition receives a $1,000 grant, the second place schools receive a $500 prize and third place schools receive a $250.
The winning videos are the culmination of various academic exercises that help students recognize the benefits of active transportation and give them the tools to share what they learn with others. All prize money is provided by Safe Streets Fund of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC, a public-private partnership dedicated to promoting even safer streets, especially among students.
Interested schools can now pre-register for next year’s “We’re Walking Here” competition by visiting nyc.gov/walkingschools. DOT’s safety education and outreach programs, including this contest, are important components to Vision Zero. They complement the City’s engineering and enforcement initiatives as part of this multi-agency effort.
For more information, visit nyc.gov/dot or nyc.gov/visionzero.
Poster Category:
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