News
Lakota Safety Village is a Community Effort
Lakota Safety Village is now in its second summer of operation and has quickly become popular with families of young children entering Kindergarten at Lakota Schools in the fall. Participants in the week-long program are taught basic safety skills and classroom expectations through a series of activities and hands-on learning with pedal cars on scaled down roads, crosswalks, and sidewalks. Students also learn school and bus safety, fire safety practices, and bike and pedestrian safety. More than 450 students are anticipated to attend this summer.
Hosted by Lakota Local schools at Liberty Junior School, the Safety Village program is a partnership with West Chester Police Department and the Butler County Sherriff's Office. The original idea came from Jim & Susan Butler, who started the 3 little Halos Fund at the Northern Cincinnati Foundation in memory of their three grandchildren who were lost in a house fire in 2007. Their vision came to life last year after a significant amount of planning and fundraising. The Butlers hope in future a permanent site for a larger Safety Village might be possible.
For now, the Safety Village must remain somewhat mobile. This year they are set up at Liberty Early Childhood School. Last year it was Lakota West Freshman Campus. To aid in the set up process, The Lakota Fund at the Northern Cincinnati Foundation awarded the West Chester Police Dept a grant to purchase a large tarp with traffic lines, sidewalks, crosswalks, and green space painted on and ready to be rolled out. The Lakota Fund awards grants to both Lakota teachers and other community groups who are seeking funding to implement projects and programs that benefit Lakota students.
To support the Lakota Safety Village, please consider making a donation to the 3 little Halos Fund: https://www.northerncincinnati.foundation/donate?org=safetyvillage3littlehalos