January 12, 2006

Two New York Towns Receive Award for Youth Planning Project

WASHINGTON, DC — Developed by planners and educators in accordance with New York State Learning Standards, a youth planning project developed by two New York towns shows how seamlessly planning and community development can be incorporated into existing curriculums at all grade levels. For its innovative approach to building awareness of, and participation in, planning among today's youth, the Amherst and Clarence Youth Planning Project is the recipient of the American Planning Association (APA) 2006 Outstanding Planning Award for Public Education.

"Teachers and planners in these two towns are to be commended for the way in which they evaluated the individual curriculums to find units of instruction particularly suited to the teaching of basic planning principles," said Carol Rhea, AICP, chair of the APA Awards Committee. "From elementary school language arts to middle school science and high school advanced placement human geography, students gained a greater understanding and appreciation of the influences and impacts of planning decisions," she said.

The Amherst and Clarence Youth Planning Project will be recognized at APA's National Planning Conference during a luncheon ceremony April 25 in San Antonio, Texas. In addition, a 30-minute video about all of APA's 2006 National Planning Awards recipients will be shown at the luncheon. Accomplishments of the awardees will be highlighted in the March issue of Planning magazine and on the APA website.

Developed six years ago under the auspices of the New York State Quality Communities Initiative, the project involved planners and teachers from several disciplines and grade levels in the creation of lessons designed to impart information about planning and community development.

Town planners and faculty from the State University of New York College at Buffalo wrote and conducted one-day and week-long workshops providing teachers with orientation and training about community planning and geographic information systems (GIS). During these workshops teachers created lesson plans, which are available online so other educators can access and use them.

With the towns of Amherst and Clarence about to embark on the update of comprehensive plans, officials wanted to encourage students to participate in the planning process. By linking the classroom component to the ongoing planning effort, students and teachers were presented with exciting opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations where they live. The intricacies of planning, the need to balance multiple community goals, and the application of technology are brought to life for students through various activities and instruction.

Funded for three years, the project provided the towns with the hardware and software necessary to develop and maintain interactive and Web-based mapping. Teachers received GIS training and the towns developed online GIS maps and applications. Students learned to navigate the GIS system, thereby gaining a better understanding of the geography of the two communities. While the program has formally concluded, many of the teachers involved continue to use the lesson plans they developed. The lesson plans, along with other planning information and the online map application, continue to be maintained on the project website for use by educators and students.

The APA National Awards for Planning are part of a proud tradition established more than 50 years ago, recognizing outstanding community plans, planning programs and initiatives, public education efforts, and individuals for their leadership on planning issues.

Contact

Roberta Rewers, APA Public Affairs, 312-786-6395; rrewers@planning.org