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PS.1 ALFRED E. SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN MANHATTAN RECEIVES NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT’S READY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR AWARD 

P.S.1, the Alfred E. Smith Elementary School, presented with the 2024 ‘Ready School of the Year’ award for its exemplary dedication to community preparedness 
 

 
 

July 1, 2024 — NYC Emergency Management is proud to announce this year’s “Ready School of the Year:” P.S. 1 Alfred E. Smith Elementary School in Manhattan. Students at P.S. 1, from 3K to fifth grade, studied natural disasters, emergency management, and safety and displayed an impressive dedication to community service and engagement in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Students learned about evacuation zones and even visited NYC Emergency Management’s headquarters, demonstrating that you’re never too young to help your neighborhood become a more prepared, more resilient community.

Each year, NYC Emergency Management and the NYC Public Schools present the “Ready School of the Year” award to a school that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to emergency preparedness. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the award. New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol, District 2 Superintendent Kelly McGuire, New York City Council Member Christopher Marte, and Assemblymember Grace Lee attended the event on June 24 to deliver remarks at the ceremony. 

“Through dedicated study of natural disasters and preparedness, the Alfred E. Smith Elementary School is setting up our youngest generation to be prepared and resilient,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. “We are thrilled to present students and staff with the 'Ready School of the Year' award to recognize their work that will ripple far beyond school walls. In the face of emergencies and disasters, we need compassionate, service-oriented, and prepared New Yorkers like these kids and teachers. Congratulations, P.S. 1!” 

“I am so proud of the young people at P.S. 1 Alfred E. Smith Elementary School, who are taking steps to ensure that our communities are prepared to respond to our changing environment,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “At New York City Public Schools, we’re working to ensure every student is equipped with the skills they need to make a difference, and these students are setting an example for New Yorkers across our city and demonstrating what it means to be an engaged and resilient leader.” 

“Congratulations to P.S. 1 Alfred E. Smith on winning the NYC Emergency Management Ready School of the Year award! It’s critical that students of all ages are empowered with the knowledge they need to be prepared for an emergency, and I’m proud of the PS 1 students for being role models for the community,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “PS 1 is consistently a community that looks out for each other and the neighborhood at large in ways big and small." 

“I congratulate Principal Hom, the students, and faculty of P.S. 1 on their well-deserved award for ‘Ready School of the Year,’” said Assemblymember Grace Lee. “Promoting emergency preparedness within our schools and communities is especially important now, with summer approaching and natural disasters becoming more frequent. The students demonstrated thoughtfulness and creativity in their presentations; they are fully deserving of this recognition!” 

Fifth grade students at P.S. 1 studied natural disasters and visited NYCEM’s Emergency Operations Center to see emergency management in practice. The students learned that their school was in Hurricane Evacuation Zone 4 and located its nearest hurricane evacuation center. P.S.1 is a dual-language program, with some students primarily speaking Mandarin. An AmeriCorps volunteer presented to the students in Chinese, demonstrating the essentiality of language access in our diverse city.  

In addition to including emergency preparedness in its multilingual curriculum, P.S. 1 consistently strengthens its community through service. Students and staff participated in park clean-ups, cooking workshops, and a community book giveaway that brought 10,000 books to families in Chinatown and the Lower East Side. Neighbors who support each other as P.S. 1 students do build the foundation for strong, resilient neighborhoods.  

About Ready Schools and the Ready New York for Kids Program 

In 2007, NYC Emergency Management and the Department of Education launched the Ready New York for Kids preparedness program by distributing 1.1 million Ready New York for Kids guides to the City’s public-school students along with classroom handouts for teachers. In 2009, the agencies started a pilot program in one Brooklyn school district, holding events at 14 schools and educating over 2,400 students over four months before going citywide by the end of the year. Since then, the Ready New York program has been conducting hundreds of events in schools throughout the five boroughs. 

About Ready Girl 

Ready Girl is a superhero and emergency manager who teaches kids about emergency preparedness. She is part of the Ready New York for Kids’ program, a joint initiative between NYC Emergency Management and the Department of Education that is dedicated to helping educate young students about the importance of emergency preparedness. Since she burst onto the superhero scene in October 2015, Ready Girl has taken her message all over New York City, visiting hundreds of schools, community centers and youth organizations, and dropping in on local fairs. She has trained thousands of kids throughout the five boroughs, getting every New York City kid ready for any emergency. Visit NYC.gov/readyny to learn more about the Ready New York program. 

HERricane NYC 

As part of NYC Emergency Management’s continuing effort to support young students, the agency is accepting applications for the third annual HERricane NYC program. HERricane NYC is a youth development program encouraging young women aged 16-22 to pursue careers and leadership roles in emergency management. The program is free and will take place at NYC Emergency Management headquarters from Monday, July 8 through Friday, July 12. You can find the application and more information here.

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