Newsroom

Updates

C2C Header

Powerful Partnerships Making Streets Brighter and Safer

Crosswalks to Classrooms

The well-loved Crosswalks to Classrooms project is coming to Sabal Palm Elementary, a Community Partnership School.

KCCI’s team is working in partnership with Foundation for Leon County Schools, The City of Tallahassee and  The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of North Florida to provide this STEAM educational opportunity as students improve safety via artwork they helped create on the crosswalk in front of the school.

The painting day takes place on Tuesday, April 18 and 10 student artists have been selected to paint the crosswalk under the leadership of professional artists Cosby Hayes and Sarah Painter.

“The Crosswalks to Classrooms project provides students with a hands-on learning opportunity. As they’ve been at the center of the planning and designing process, students have been exposed to different career paths,” said Eric Clark, Executive Director for The Foundation of Leon County Schools. “The future is within our youth, and we are excited to have been able to provide this educational opportunity that not only beautifies the commute but makes it safer.”

Student Involvement

Prior to the community painting day, students at Sabal Palm Elementary were at the center of the planning and design process, exposing them to careers in transportation planning, art, and communications. In addition, all 4th graders received lessons on pedestrian and cycling safety. Students were able to vote on vibrant colors and symbols representing their school, which then the top 3 colors and symbols were incorporated into the design.

Fourth grader, Baily, was thrilled as he stated, “this is a once in a lifetime chance to make a difference” for Sabal Palm.

Benefits

The Crosswalks to Classrooms project at Sabal Palm Elementary engaged diverse communities, students, governmental entities, and local businesses through participatory planning practices, while enhancing roadway safety and improving travel to school.

Similar projects have been shown to slow down traffic, increase crosswalk usage and decrease negative interactions between cars and pedestrians, improving overall safety. Bloomberg Foundation spent a few year’s studying the impacts of asphalt art.

The Future

Plans are currently in the works to also artistically transform the nearby intersection and three crosswalks near Sabal Palm Elementary, further complimenting the artistic crosswalk in front of the school. If you are interested in sponsoring this community engagement event and painting day, please contact KCCI team member Anna Kay Hutchison at (850) 933-5422 or KCCI Executive Director Betsy Couch at (850) 509-3767. Or make an immediate donation by clicking here. 

The targeted intersection and three crosswalks at Eisenhower and Ridgeway feed directly into Sabal Palm Elementary, A Community Partnership School (SPE CPS) serving zip codes 32304/32310, the poorest zip code in the state of Florida. The painted intersections and crosswalks would contribute to a safer walking environment for students, families, and the surrounding community while positively impacting our local places and spaces. KCCI has been utilizing traffic patterns and crash data to identify potential sites.

KCCI has received a commitment from the City of Tallahassee (COT) to repaint the intersection and crosswalks with Thermoplastic (a plastic polymer material with a life of 8-10 years) in 2026, when COT plans to repave the roads and overhaul the community infrastructure.

Thank You

The artistic Crosswalk to Classrooms near Sabal Palm Elementary is made possible thanks to the support of The Foundation for Leon County Schools in collaboration with KCCI, the City of Tallahassee, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of North Florida, Vicki Bradley, Trydent Consulting, and ServisFirst Bank.

The volunteer 2023 KCCI Community Catalyst team members are Susan Aarons, Alan Amidon, Quia Atkinson, Anna-Kay Hutchison, Amina Kassem, Christina Lynch, Holly McPhail, David Powell, Fern, Senra-James, Lindsay Slautterback, and Tristan Williams.