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It Takes a (Safety) Village
Kelly Huegel, Park District of Highland Park
If you haven’t been to the Park District of Highland Park’s “Safety Village”
recently, you haven’t seen the extraordinary transformation. What was once a
simple plot of asphalt dotted with small temporary buildings is now a
miniature safety wonderland, complete with permanent buildings, freshly
painted streets, sidewalks, railroad crossings and new bikes for program
participants.
Still in the works are additional buildings, more weatherproof street signs
and battery-operated stoplights and railroad-crossing signs.
The small-scale mock village’s makeover was made possible by a $15,000
donation from the Highland Park/Highwood Rotary Club in July 2007.
Programming is expanded to more age groups and parents with tots.
Pedestrian, cyclist, car- and bus-rider safety is learned, along with fire and
home safety, “stranger danger” and how to identify an emergency. Last yearolds,
introducing a fun approach to safety through role-playing, art projects,
stories, videos and practical experience.
“Safety Village is great for Highland Park and the Park District,” says
Kathy Donahue, Superintendent of Recreation Services. “It allows us to
create a safe, pretend environment for children to learn.”
Highland Park resident Suzie Draluck registered five-year-old Sophie
with pleasing results. “Thank goodness we haven’t had any real major
emergencies,” said Suzie. “But I’m confident, Sophie would know what to
do. Every day after class, she would tell us what she learned that day. One
day was devoted to fire safety, other days were bike safety, and so on. Sophie
brought home safety booklets, and we’d go over them. She enjoyed it.”
Not only are the classes fun, but children take away important life lessons
about safety. “Whenever we make fires in the fireplace, Sophie reminds us
about fire safety and what to remember in various fire emergencies,” Suzie
reports. “Also, she no longer gives me a hard time when I tell her she has to
wear a bike helmet. She now knows that all children are supposed to wear
helmets. I believe she learned some valuable lessons.”
In 2007, the District expanded its safety program to include younger and
older age groups in addition to its traditional crop of kindergartners. The
“Safety Time for Tots” program is open to parents and their three-to-fouryear-old
preschoolers, and “Safety 911” is a weekly class for first- and
second-graders. Both programs begin in mid-April. The original two-week
Safety Village program for kindergartners is scheduled for early June. Parents
wishing to register their children for one of these programs should contact
the Park District right away, as the classes are expected to fill quickly.
When not in use for safety programs, the Village is open to the
public. Children can bring their own bikes and practice safety procedures
with their parents.
For more information on Safety Village and programming,
call 847-831-3810, or visit the District’s website at pdhp.org.
Kindergarteners at a Safety Village program, behind the Park
District’s West Ridge Center at 636 Ridge Road
IN HIGHLAND PARK
Spring 2008 / 31