From November 2013 to January 2014, 4th grade students at PS 155 in Manhattan worked to tackle the issue pedestrian safety within their “safe school zone,” all with the help and guidance of Groundswell. The students noticed the disregard of speed limit in and around their neighborhood and school and saw how it was directly endangering students. This inspired the students to create a street sign for the Department of Transportation in an effort to keep the safe zone safe. By using symbols of families, crossing guards and cars obeying traffic, the students hope to communicate their hopes for the future of their neighborhood. Through the use of phrases such as “Slow Down,” “Children Crossing” and “No Speeding,” the students hope to bring attention to the specific problems they want to address, and hope that as a result, drivers will obey the speed limits.
 
The creation of this sign joins a series of projects which are part of a partnership between Groundswell and the Department of Transportation. The goal of this partnership is to improve the safety of neighborhoods throughout New York City by collaborating with youth to create new street signs that better engage the community and bring attention to safety issues.
 

With the help and guidance of Groundswell artist Olivia Fu, seven residents of the Northeast Bronx Senior Center worked together to create a new street safety sign to serve the community they call home. As a part of Groundswell’s ongoing partnership with the Department of Transportation to create more vibrant, eye catching, and engaging street signs, the seniors created a sign around the centralized theme of pedestrian awareness. In the final design, phrases such as “Slow Down at the Intersection” and “Drive with Care,” along with images of pedestrians to emphasize that residents of all ages should be able to use their crosswalks without fear of being hit by trucks, busses or taxis. Also depicted is a walk sign, reiterating that pedestrians have an allotted time to cross, and should be able to use the full amount of time to cross.
 
The seniors involved toured both the neighborhood and DOT’s sign factory. They learned about the process of making new DOT signs, traffic issues pertinent to the Bronx, and what they could do to help. The result is a bright, colorful, effective new street sign to be installed in and around the neighborhood of the Northeast Bronx Senior Center. 

Beginning in November of 2014, 4th grade students at PS 29R on Staten Island, with the guidance and aid of Groundswell, collaborated to create a new safety sign for their community. The theme that they focused on was “speeding,” specifically addressing the general disregard drivers have for the “school slow zone,” and how this disregard proves extremely dangerous for the students and their families. By using images such those of happy students and drivers, a a sense of safety and content is implied; and by using the phrase “Kids Around, Slow Down,” the community is reminded that they are obeying rules on behalf of children in particular.
 
The creation of this sign is part of an ongoing partnership between Groundswell and the Department of Transportation; a partnership which strives to create safer, happier communities by enhancing the quality and imagery of street signs. PS 29’s sign has been installed in and around the direct neighborhood surrounding the school.

In early December of 2013, 4th grade students at PS 54X in the Bronx came together with Groundswell to create a new and engaging street sign for their neighborhood. The design focused on the theme of distracted driving, and faced head on the serious dangers of both driving under the influence of alcohol and text while driving, specifically in the school’s safe zones. This theme is depicted through a sign that is viewed from the perspective of a driver, who is both drinking and texting while driving past the school. By using bright, vibrant colors and bold statements such as “KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD,” students hope that the signs will call attention to gravity of peoples’ decisions and actions, and that the signs will cause significant change within their community.
 
This sign joins a wide variety of other similar signs created through a partnership between Groundswell and the NYC Department of Transportation. This partnership seeks to call attention to traffic based issues across the boroughs through the creation of new street signs by the communities’ youth.

Beginning in November of 2013, students from PS 307K in Brooklyn began discussing the issue of distracted driving and, as a result, pedestrian endangerments near their school. Students drew inspiration from symbols such as eyes, ears, and hands – and parts of the body used when paying attention in traffic. As the design progressed, an image was created of children walking to school with the help of their parents and a crossing guard – thus the name, “Children Crossing.” Groundswell artist Jess Poplawski helped translate these ideas to image, which resulted in a new, complete street sign to be used throughout the school’s safe zones.
 
This project is part of an ongoing collaborative partnership between Groundswell and the NYC Department of Transportation. The partnership seeks to improve the safety and quality of neighborhoods by engaging youth in the process of recreating street signs. These signs are then utilized throughout the community, engaging its members and creating social change in the process.

Beginning in October of 2013, Groundswell provided an outlet for students from the Coalition School for Social Change to remember those who they have lost and to make a difference in their community. As a part of Groundswell’s ongoing partnership with the Department of Transportation, the students came together to create a new street sign to be installed near their school. The theme that the youth worked towards/around was the theme of “awareness”; awareness in traffic, awareness when walking, awareness when deciding/deciding not to drink and drive, etc. Moreover, the mural was made in memoriam of the students’ close friend, Renee Thompson, who they had lost as a result of a community in need of such awareness. 

Beginning in November, students from PS 232 came together to create a new street sign to benefit the community around them and promote social change. Originally inspired by the phrase, “Slow and steady wins the race,” the students set out not only to change the habits of drivers, but to teach their fellow students about waiting their turns at crosswalks and not rushing in to traffic. Using symbolism such as creating an ideal traffic environment on the sign itself, as well as race flags at the end of the crosswalk, the youth home to communicate a message of patience and respect within the community around them.

“The Explosion of Wonder” was created through a partnership with Pathways College Preparatory School during spring 2014. The collaborative mural design process engaged youth artists in a hands-on exploration of the many diverse pathways to success in life. Through a series of engaging brainstorming workshops, the students discussed how each of them can view the world around them as their own personal "blueprint" for success. This ideas was carried into the mural design, in which a blueprint acts as a guide for participants to achieve their dreams and aspirations. The mural image emphasizes that each student's blueprint is her or her own, just as each person's future is his or her own to create and pursue.
 
The mural is located on the fourth  floor of the school in its computer lab and library.

In 2014, four Groundswell youth apprentices came together to create a mural at the Kings County Criminal Court on Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn. Specifically located in the office of Brooklyn Justice Initiatives, the mural represents the borough of Brooklyn, depicting significant historical, recreational, and governmental landmarks.
 
A tree supports the design from the ground up, representing the constant growth and strength of the borough. In the upper half, the justice scales reach up to the sky, supported from behind by a skyline depicting important Brooklyn locations, including Coney Island, the Grand Army Plaza Arch, the Brooklyn Bridge, and many more.
 
Groundswell youth were also aided by ten participants from the Brooklyn Justice Initiatives youth programs, ultimately resulting in a mural that will inspire those who work in Brooklyn Justice Initiatives’ offices and participate in its programs for years to come. The Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is a project of The Center for Court Innovation, a longstanding and trusted Groundswell partner.

In February 2014, Groundswell artists and youth apprentices participated in a live painting event, presented as part of the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)’s participation in the National Afterschool Convention. The annual convention is a multi-day event that brings together innovative program managers from across the country with a specific focus on afterschool programming.
 
In order to best portray the theme of “The History of Afterschool,” the participants created three panels, each panel depicting a different time period: 1900-1949, 1950-1999, and 2000-present. Highlighting significant events from each time period, not only is the history of education showcased, but the future of what education could be is beautifully visualized.