Safety City
Today children are more mobile than ever and frequently travel without the protection of an adult. Co-sponsored by the New York City Department of Transportation, Safety City is a special place for children to learn hands-on how to make safer choices as pedestrians, on bicycles, skates and scooters, and in motor vehicles. The Safety City curriculum teaches safety as a decision-making process using tools rather than rules to build self-esteem and a sense of responsibility for oneself and others. The learning-by-doing teaching methods keep children looking, listening, and examining. As active participants in the education process, children internalize behaviors that will help keep them safe for a lifetime.
Safety City focuses on educating third graders. Safety City also has special programs for New Yorkers of all ages with cognitive disabilities who are at special risk on our streets.
The Safety City experience is a full day of indoor and outdoor activities. In the classroom, children explore and discuss safety concepts, role play, sing along with interactive videos, and create safety art work. Outdoors, they practice skills such as crossing the street, putting on safety gear and driving bicycles on a simulated street and intersection with real signs, signals and markings. Educators conduct follow-up activities such as listening games and creating a bulletin board about safety.
In addition, children are encouraged to enter our safety contests and submit poems, stories, and art work for our YES for Kids safety magazine.
Children who graduate from Safety City and participate in follow-up activities become Safety City Deputies and receive special certificates.
Safety City locations also host special evnets including Senior Safety Month workshops in September and summer bike rodeos for children.
With six locations, Safety City serves 30,000 children annually citywide. A true community program, Safety City utilizes local volunteer parents, teachers, crossing guards, health professionals, and Police Officers to assist instructors at each site.
Safety City Locations
- In Manhattan at Public School 92 at 222 W. 134th Street, Room 113 (212) 368-7653 and at 672 W. 158 Street, (212) 795-3046
- In Staten Island at the Michael J. Petrides Education Complex on 715 Ocean Terrace (718) 390-5153
- In the Bronx at 837 Brush Avenue, at Lafayette Avenue and Westchester Creek (718) 822-4116
- In Brooklyn at the Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, 760 Broadway, Main floor (718) 963-6858
- In Queens the outdoor streetscape is at 108th Street and Park Lane South in Forest Park. The indoor facility is at 107-02 Myrtle Avenue at Park Lane South (718) 805-4510