Knowing and Connecting with the Community
If you have lived in the community where you work, you will already have some familiarity with the stores, neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and hospitals that make up the community. If you are not familiar with the area, you can make an effort to get to know these features over time. Once again, creating a file or notebook with information about community resources can be very helpful. You can also add suggestions for how each resource can support your curriculum in some way. Figure 5.6 displays a template for recording information in a resource file.
Other ways in which you can gather information about your community include the following:
- Take walks in the immediate neighborhood.
- Obtain a calendar of community festivals and cultural events.
- Locate the nearest university extension service.
- Find out what child-friendly programs are available through local museums, parks, media outlets, and tourist destinations such as zoos or historical sites.
- Identify closest access to public transportation, routes, and fare information.
- Gather menus from local restaurants.
- Make use of city/community websites and retail listings or Yellow Pages directories.
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