BUILDING FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY - Kennedy Bibliothek

) The SAND Project
128. Although the "Everywhere School", a decentralised concept of a primary
school/neighbourhood community facility has not yet been built, the
one day visit to the project site was extended to three days as it was felt
that the project provided, not only a unique range of innovative ideas, but
had also brought together a group of people who were truly committed to its
implementation. Similarly to what happened in Dunbar (Baltimore), a threat -
this time the threat of relocation through urban renewal rather than the
threat of losing a school - brought the community together in the early
60's. "The Everywhere School", a working paper prepared by the South
Arsenal Neighbourhood Development Corporation in 1968 states the context
and general goals of the school in the following way:
"The South Arsenal neighborhood has served as a Hartford port of
entry for black and Puerto Rican people for almost a decade. Many
of the long-time residents are verterans of a redevelopment project
(Windsor Street) that moved them to South Arsenal from the former
port of entry, the Windsor Street area. South Arsenal is an area of
approximately 56 acres, bounded by Main Street, the Windsor Street
Extension, Pavillion and Blake Streets (including Bellevue Square).
Approximately 1 000 families (5 000 people) live in this area. 40%
of the residents are Puerto Rican and 60% are black. South Arsenal
is at the bottom of the economic ladder; 59% of the families earn
less than $4 000 a year, and 60% of these residents are on welfare.
The predominant occupations are in the semi-skilled and service classifications.
The living environment is characterized by age, overcrowding,
deterioration and inadequacy. Most of the housing units
were constructed before 1900, are three-storey brick converted multifamily
units (55%), deficient and substandard (50%), without central
heat (54%)-and tenant occupied (96%). The present elementary school
was built in 1899. South Arsenal has been designated by the City of
Hartford as a high priority urban renewal area and Model Cities
neighborhood.
South Arsenal's broadest goal is improvement in the quality of the
lives of South Arsenal people. The primary vehicles for corrective
action, hence improvement, are community participation and learning.
For us participation is the formation of a neighborhood corporation
with broad representation and action programs. For us learning is
the perception of our total environment. Learning encompasses each
of us individually and all of us together as it relates to our future
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