Cutting the Ribbon on Safety City
Rockland BOCES educators and local leaders gathered on December 5 for the highly-anticipated unveiling of one of our newest offerings! A first-of-its kind installation in the Hudson Valley, Safety City creates opportunities for students with disabilities to gain life skills for greater independence in adulthood. This reproduction of a town — complete with paved roads, sidewalks, miniature storefronts, crosswalks, streetlights, a traffic signal, adaptive playground and outdoor classroom — teaches our children how to remain safe in a variety of situations, while giving them added supports and accommodations. It is partially funded through a $125,000 New York State and Municipal (SAM) Facilities Grant.
The ribbon cutting ceremony marked the conclusion of the first phase of the revitalization of the West Nyack campus, a vision of Chief Operating Officer Dr. Amy Albers. "We know how important it is to be as independent as possible," said Dr. Albers. "I'd like to thank our awesome facilities team for partnering with our future professionals to make these situations happen for our children."
The construction of Safety City was a collaboration between Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) instructor Frank DeToma's Carpentry and Building Services classes and our Facilities Department.
Safety City's mission is to promote independent living, safety and well-being of children and young adults through experiential learning. Upon graduating from our programs, it will offer students an advantage as they transition to outside providers like Venture, JAWONIO and ARC of Rockland. We are so BOCES proud of this cross-department effort as we build for now AND the future!
Contact Us
Scott Salotto
Director of Communications and Governmental Relations
(845) 627-4705