This was probably a big vacant lot and is now a community garden pretty enough that we couldn't help but stop the car, get out, and walk around.
Great idea--they used an old billboard frame at the entrance to the garden as a sign: Braddock Green Youth Organic Urban Family Initiative Community.
Paving stones that made up the walkway had messages from the kids involved. Great way to get kids personally invested in the project.
Another part of the garden, with colorfully painted benches inviting the community in.
In Lawrenceville, I went to a school and talked about our anti-litter program, why litter was bad, and why they should help to keep the streets cleaned. The kids were jumping around in their seats and could have cared less what I said. This idea is much more effective--get kids to paint a garbage can and decorate it using their own words. They'll likely be personally engaged in the message to respect the park and not litter. It's working--there wasn't a scrap of litter around.
