New Park Slope Program Extends Activism To Elementary Kids

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — The way Kathy Park Price sees it, entering civic life isn't something that happens on your 18th birthday when you head to the ballot box for the first time or start paying taxes.

Instead, the mother of two said, it's a part of life that should start, really, as soon as possible.

"My kids started volunteering at the Old Stone House garden and Park Slope senior center at two years old and newborn," Price explained. "I wanted volunteering and being part of the community to be part of their DNA. I didn't want them to remember a time when they weren't part of the community."

But even with a mindset like that, the Park Slope mom said it was still difficult to find volunteer opportunities to do as a family unit with her young children. In fact, it seemed there weren't opportunities for kids to learn how to become civically engaged until middle school, she said.

Her new program, "Citizen Squirrel," hopes to change that.

The new organization, which held its first workshop last month, aims to teach elementary children how to become active in their community with the hopes of making civic engagement a normal part of their lives, instead of something that kicks in when they reach a certain age.

"There are many resources for high school students and, even more now, for middle school students to get engaged and I think focusing on elementary students is a natural next step," she said. "These kids are going to be those adults tomorrow — (we need to) teach them now to be comfortable in those spaces at marches, rallies or community board meetings."

The program's first workshop included a tutorial on how to use a bullhorn at a rally, a practice march with basic rally chants, testimonials from older student activists and talks with community leaders, including Community Board 6, which sponsored the event. Price is a one of the chairs of the board's Youth, Human Services and Education Committee.

The group also set up a city-wide community calendar to help families find one "acorn," or civic engagement activity, to do each month.

The acorn represents the small seed that can grow into something bigger, Price said, and includes a sticker for the calendar to make it accessible to children. The organization's mascot is also symbolic, named with the simultaneously cute and ubiquitous nature of the city's squirrels, and kids, in mind.

But despite the kid-friendly branding, the group isn't just for fun, Price said.

"It's all very cute, but I think it’s really serious," she said "There are so many elements to why society and culture fosters passivity, so this is a way to say, 'Let’s be active' and it’s doable."

The first workshop was a success with about 50 families showing up despite being planned in less than a month without a budget, Price said.

But, she hopes in the future "Citizen Squirrel" can simply become a resource and a model for other communities to hold workshops of their own. The organization has its own Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Spotify page to help give resources to those who might want to replicate it in other areas of the city.

"I find that having a model sort of reduces the barriers — there’s already a concept you can pick up and shape it as you like," she said. "I don’t have a fixed idea of what this should be, (but) I want it to thrive."

Photo and video from Citizen Squirrel Facebook.