Today, a Park Slope elementary school will be taking a walk in Prospect Park. 

It’s the second annual PS 321 GoGreen Walkathon. Beginning at 8:50 am, the entire school and some parents will walk up 3rd Street to
Prospect Park. 

They will then walk  a 2 mile inner loop
in Prospect Park.  We are hoping that many parents will join us for
this event.  Last year, it was an incredibly moving sight to see  1500
people  all walking around the park to raise money to help make our
environment healthier!

It’s a fundraising event, too, for good environmental causes like
Brooklyn’s Added Value and the Red Hook Farmers Markets, NYC’s
Transportation Alternatives, and efforts to save the Amazon rain forest
(see below).

Last year, staff and parents
participated in deciding which of the many worthy environmental
organizations the school should support and identified organizations doing
important work that is understandable to our students.  After  much
discussion, the school decided to give the money they raise to three nonprofit
organizations.

PS 321’s School Leadership Team decided to make a three-year
commitment to these organizations:

•    Added Value (www.added-value.org)
operates two Farmers Markets in Red Hook.  The organization has a Youth
Leadership focus,  and the Farmers Markets are run by teenagers trained
by Added Value.  The organization has transformed an old asphalt area
into an urban farm.  In addition to selling fresh, locally grown
produce, it donates food to those in need.   

•    Amazon Watch  (www.amazonwatch.org)
is dedicated to the protection of the Amazon Rainforest–the lungs of
the earth–and its indigenous people.  Amazon Watch supports Escuela
Senen Soi, a program that trains indigenous Amazonian leaders to
protect their environment.    

•    Transportation Alternatives (www.transalt.org)
is a New York City organization working on changing transportation
priorities to reduce cars , encourage safe biking, and improve  public
transportation options.  One of the projects that is particularly
accessible to our students is Safe Routes to School.