The old adage states “it takes a village to raise a child”. In the Lakota Schools community many partners stepped up to provide a summer-long safety program for incoming kindergarteners.
“It’s been amazing to have so many partners step up and make this first summer of safety village come to life,” said West Chester Police Officer Gary Gabbard, a school resource officer in Lakota.
Building a place where young children would be engaged in learning important safety rules has been a mission for the Butler family of 3 Little Halos. It was their determination and a kick start from Kevin Thomas, principal of Shawnee Early Childhood School, that set the wheels in motion.
The week-long programs will be offered starting the week of May 23 and continuing through August with time slots for 2022 filled. Twenty-five children will participate in two sessions (morning and afternoon) each week.
Safety Village is sponsored by Lakota Local School, 3 Little Halos, Northern Cincinnati Foundation, West Chester Police Department and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
The program will cover topics like pedestrian and bike safety, fire safety, Stranger Danger, proper school bus behavior and more; all while campers traverse a mini village in pedal cars.
The West Chester Fire Department will step up during sessions to share important information about home fire safety.
The village for now will be housed in a gym at the Lakota West Freshman Building where Lakota art students and volunteers have transformed the space into a miniature village.
“We’re grateful for the space in the school,” Officer Gabbard said. “It’s our hope that the program will give children a really good start in their school experience and grow with community support.”
For more information from the West Chester Township Police Department, visit www.WestChesterOH.org/Police.