Rotterdam: A Child in the City
In 2006, a “Focus on Children” report deemed Rotterdam as the least attractive city to raise a family in The Netherlands.
As families began to move away from residential areas, the Child in the City program was born to reverse the trend and make Rotterdam more child-friendly. By using a series of building blocks that focus on child-friendly housing, open public space, extended school activities and safe traffic routes, urban planners and architects were able to transform 11 neighborhoods with input from the families that live in the area. Through hard work and collaboration, Child in the City helped boost the local economy and bring people back to Rotterdam.
Semester at Sea students taking a sociology of childhood class during the Fall 2014 voyage had the opportunity to visit Rotterdam and learn how these child-friendly accommodations were implemented. Watch their experience here and follow along as five students evaluate local neighborhoods using the same building blocks.
I am trying to obtain information about a school that I visited several years ago where elementary and high school students would visit to learn more about how the Port of Rotterdam functions, including the handling of cargo and ships. If I recall the school was located somewhere in the port and had several floors devoted to such education.
As a I remember it the top floor was a viewing platform from which the students could see most of the port.
There were models of ships and examples of different types of cargo.
I request this information because I am working with a group of people connected with the New York City education system who are trying to educate these young people at a very early stage to increase their awareness of what the port does and to possibly offer ideas about future job opportunities.
I appreciate your help with this request.