"Project Slow Down" Has Begun!

As part of Global Youth Service Day, a team of youth in Draper, Utah ranging in age from 7 to 14 have dubbed one of their summer community projects "Project Slow Down."

The Opportunity
What was intended to be a quiet street in a great residential area has become nothing short of a raceway. Manilla Drive, home to many kids of all ages, is now the most direct route from a popular hang gliding park and only one of two streets leading an entire hillside of residents down to other access roads and Draper proper. After several accidents due to speed, weather, and other factors, property has already been damaged (fire hydrants, mail boxes, trees, and lamp posts have all been destroyed over the past few years). The students have decided to collect data, reach out to neighbors, police, Draper City, the media and other resources in an attempt to consistently lower the speed on their street before someone is seriously hurt.

On The Road to Solutions
Today, the students brainstormed on three topics: Why Do Our Neighbors Speed?, Who Can Help Us?, and What Outcomes Do We Want From Our Project?

One primary takeaway the team of students agreed upon was that they want to reach out to their speeding neighbors in respectful ways. One of their hoped-for outcomes is not only to lower the driving speed on Manilla Drive, but to instill in the neighborhood a sense of partnership, caring, and community commitment to being careful with each other.

Over the next two weeks, the students will be fine-tuning a project plan and come up with a slogan for the summer slow-down campaign.

Nice job kids!