More than 1,100 public schools have city approval to spend a portion of their school day outside, where the risk of COVID-19 transmission can be lower, as part of the city’s outdoor learning initiative, officials said Thursday.
“It is integral part of not only how we keep our students and staff safe, but also how we give our students the opportunity to flex their muscles,” said schools Chancellor Richard Carranza Thursday during a visit to Public School 143 in Corona, Queens.
The school sits in one of the neighborhoods hit hardest by COVID-19 last Spring, and Carranza said spending time outside has been a welcome break for kids who have been cooped up in their apartments.
“Over the past few months we know that countless families have sought shelter in the safety of their own homes…that also means for many children, they may have been unable to experience outside experiences,” Carranza said. “That’s why this program is so important.”
A group of six elementary school students hopped, skipped, and jumped their way across the school’s astroturf yard Thursday afternoon as part of an outdoor physical education class.
The initiative, which allows schools to request access to use nearby schoolyards, parks, or streets to hold classes, was unveiled in late August after educators pushed the idea for months.
Schools submit their requests to a task force made up of city agencies including the Education, Parks, and Transportation Departments along with the NYPD and FDNY.
Initially, Education Department leaders declined to say whether they’d commit extra funds to the effort, which could require schools to purchase their own barriers to close down streets, and tents to protect kids and staff from the elements. Some Parent Teacher Associations began raising funds for those items on their own, raising equity questions.
Carranza said Thursday the Education Department’s Fund for Public School has collected money from outside donors to defray the costs, and some parent groups at wealthier schools have partnered with parent associations without the same fundraising capacity.
“PTAs have really, really stepped up and I’m very very proud of PTAs that have partnered with other schools,” he said.
